Webinar: Use Acoustic Test and Simulation to Improve Sound Characteristics and Design Cycles

LMS and Appliance Design magazine are sponsoring a Webinar that will explore ways to improve product sound characteristics and shorten design cycles. The Webinar is scheduled for March 31, 2009, at 2 p.m. (ET).

In today's competitive appliance market space, every aspect of a product can be a differentiator. For years, the trend has been to design quieter appliances to meet noise regulations and satisfy customer demands. To do this, engineers use both acoustic testing and simulation to quantify and predict a product's sounds, but for many, acoustics is still more art than science.

The educational webinar will clear up the mystery behind acoustic testing and simulation and help answer questions such as:

      -- When I make 'quieter' products why do some people say they sound worse than the previous generation 'noisier' products?
      -- What is the difference between sound power, sound pressure, and sound quality?
      -- When I do have noise issues what techniques can be employed to identify them quickly and accurately?
      -- How can I predict the sound of my product, both sound power and by creating actual audio sounds for replay, before making a physical prototype?
      -- Is there an easy way to swap components in a product and see what impact it has on the sound without a physical prototype?

Expert speakers include, Noah Shirk, Acoustic Test Application Specialist, and Ian McGann, Acoustic Simulation Application Specialist, who will answer these questions. To register, click here ...

ASHRAE Position Document Outlines Commitment to Natural Refrigerants

In a new position document, ASHRAE outlines its support for research, assessment and strategic growth in the use of natural refrigerants such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, air and water in refrigeration systems and technologies.

As the industry searches for alternatives that have low global-warming potential, natural refrigerants are gaining increased interest. These refrigerants offer the potential to improve the environmental performance of refrigeration systems, according to ASHRAE. Read more...

Designed to endure temperature extremes, silicone tubing handles temperature variations from -100 DegF to 500 DegF, braid-reinforced hose from -80 DegF to 350 DegF. Both offer translucency and excellent bend radii for restricted space applications. Non-toxic ingredients meet FDA, NSF-51, and USP Class VI requirements. Sizes through 1 in. I.D. Large inventory for same-day or JIT shipment. Custom colors, cutting services, and hose assemblies available. Made in U.S.A.

NewAge® Industries Inc.

Whirlpool is investing $175 million into its Clyde, Ohio, manufacturing plant. The factory makes automatic clothes washers. Whirlpool plans to add 90 to 100 positions at the plant in 2010. Whirlpool laid of 250 employees at the plant late last year.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) has serious concerns with a premature rush to 15 percent ethanol (E15) or other mid-level fuel blends as being suggested by pro-ethanol producers. Without a formal waiver process through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and a continued misinterpretation of test results from a recent Department of Energy (DOE) report, introducing E15 and higher fuels to the marketplace for existing equipment pose serious risks to American consumers and businesses. Read more...

The promise of wireless power transfer has been around since the 1800s, when it was studied by Tesla, Marconi, and others. Throughout the ensuing years, advancements came slowly. Now, it looks as if that promise is coming closer to reality and the timing could not be better. Want to learn more?

The saga of alternative blowing agents for polyurethane foam insulation seems never-ending, and new chapters are still being written. In both residential and commercial refrigeration applications, the blowing agent CFC-11 had been the standard for years until banned by the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone depletion potential (ODP). Given the challenges of quickly finding ideal alternatives, HCFCs such as HCFC-141b, with a somewhat lower ODP, were approved as a temporary alternative until better blowing agents could be found. See more...

See more of the March issue, including a look at:

--  Power: Battery Boost
-- News Watch
-- AHAM: Organize for Opportunity

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* GAS TECHNOLOGY	* SOFTWARE

The company has announced the general availability of the mTouch Inductive Touch-Sensing Technology, as an addition to its capacitive touch-sensing solutions. Inductive touch sensing's fundamental operating principles enable it to work through a front panel. Learn more ...

Proximity switches offers designers touch, or 'near touch' control features, with little or no impact on cost. With the proximity switches and sensors, the human hand can now be easily detected through non metal materials at more than 3-in. away. In addition to sensing humans, appliances can now be made to 'see.'  Want to learn more?

The Xtra-Guard family of performance cables has been extending with the introduction of 26 AWG (0.14 mm2) and 28 AWG (0.09 mm2) stranded conductors. Smaller gauge conductors help reduce the cable diameter, help provide better flexibility, increase compatibility with today's smaller connectors. Read more ...

The TR series of rivets are made from a strong heat-stabilized and impact-modified UL94 HB Nylon 6/6 in black. The rivets are one-piece and can be installed by hand.  Learn more ...