page 36
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Convergence
by Tim Somheil, Editor
Why can’t our consumer electronics all just work together?

page 38
Consumer Electronics
Robo-Home

page 43
Refrigeration Systems & Compressor Technology
Cool Demands
by Lisa Bonnema, Senior Editor
Whether improving system efficiency or making the environment healthier, the refrigeration industry is dedicated to designing products that are beyond cool.

page 44
Refrigeration Systems & Compressor Technology
Heat Exchangers: Flat Vs. Round

page 46
Refrigeration Systems & Compressor Technology
Pushing the Envelope
by Lisa Bonnema, Senior Editor
An innovative supplier-OEM team has created a cutting-edge refrigeration system that is bringing cost and energy savings to the supermarket industry.

page 52
Refrigeration Systems & Compressor Technology
Sensing a Problem
by Lisa Bonnema, Senior Editor
Advancements in leak detection technology are allowing Whirlpool Corporation to meet efficiency goals and produce more reliable refrigerators in plants around the world.

page 56
Standards and Regulations
Virtual Roundtable: Local/Global Standards and Regulations
by Erin Biesen, Associate Editor
Appliance standards worldwide exist to ensure consumer safety and to help protect the environment. But are standards evolving quickly enough to keep pace with an increasingly globalized appliance industry?

page 27
The Open Door
Eliminate Waste and Enhance Value
by Bruce Tompkins, principal, Tompkins Associates
Although lean thinking is typically applied to manufacturing, lean techniques are applicable anywhere there are processes to improve. A lean company is one that produces just what is needed, when it is needed and where it is needed.

page 28
Blower Technology
The Next Generation of Premix Gas Blowers
by Tom Costello, product manager, ebm-papst Inc.
Advancements in gas blower technology can provide boiler manufacturers with improved performance, reliability and cost savings.

page 32
Technology Report
Noise Absorber
A new electromagnetic Immunity (EMI) absorber is said to cost-effectively suppress noise in consumer electronics and business appliances.

page 34
Electronics Report
Small but Mighty
Occupying under a cubic inch of space, a new series of switching power supplies is said to help appliance engineers keep designs small and simple.

page 24
People
Tony Lui of CSA International

page 9
APPLIANCE Line
Lossless Art
Tim Somheil, Editor
Is digital technology cheapening media, or providing unprecedented exposure to music as art?