page 34 Connectors & Wire Harnesses Standardizing Connectors and Wire Harnesses
by David Simpson, contributing editor
In a growing global appliance industry, companies and industry associations are working toward the standardization of connectors, materials, and even wire harness requirements.
Feature Articles
page 41 Appliance Design Designing for Generations
by Lincoln Brunner, contributing editor
Appliance producers are researching cultural trends to target their key customer segments.
page 45 Exhibitor Highlights HomeTech 2004
HomeTech 2004 will bring together appliance exhibitors from around the globe, featuring major household appliances, small electrical appliances, and appliance components.
APPLIANCE Engineer®
page 25 APPLIANCE Engineer® - The Open Door Ten Lessons for Controlling Product-Development Costs
by Philip Bourgeois, founder and CEO, Studio Red
Any engineer who has completed a product-development program during his or her career understands the difficulty of meeting cost estimates.
page 26 APPLIANCE Engineer® Equipment Impacts of Lead-Free Wave Soldering
by Jim Morris, Advanced Development Manager, Speedline Technologies, and Matthew J. O'Keefe, Ph.D., associate professor of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla
The increasing popularity and use of lead-free solders has uncovered weakness areas in the wave solder equipment in operation today. The following evaluates the materials used to construct the solder unit of this type of equipment.
page 32 APPLIANCE Engineer® Motor Technology Integrated Circuits for Motor Control
Motorola's new line of MPC175000 advanced-power integrated circuits are said to enable exceptional battery life in portable electronics.
page 41 Appliance Design Designing for Generations
by Lincoln Brunner, contributing editor
Appliance producers are researching cultural trends to target their key customer segments.
Production
page 59 Production: Packaging The Stretch for Success
MSK Covertech, a manufacturer of film-packaging equipment, successfully installed two high-speed stretch-hood packaging lines at appliance maker Mabe's Saltillo, Mexico plant.
page 18 European Report Appliance Suppliers and OEMs Work Together in Home Connectivity
by Paul Roggema, European correspondent, APPLIANCE magazine
In the field of connectivity, hardware manufacturers that have been working on the KONNEX standard for communication protocols are now working in conjunction with CECED, the association of European home appliance makers.
page 18 European Report Merloni Expanding in Central and Eastern Europe
by Paul Roggema, European correspondent, APPLIANCE magazine
Globally, many manufacturers have been shifting production East to areas such as China and Eastern Europe.
page 18 China Report China Launches Home-Grown Challenge to DVD Standard
By Clint Stevens, China correspondent for APPLIANCE magazine
A new generation of high-definition media players has been officially launched into the Chinese market.
Departments
page 9 APPLIANCE Line Testing New Acceptance Waters
Editorial from Lisa Bonnema, Editor, APPLIANCE Magazine
Recent actions by testing and certification bodies Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group may be the first step toward easier, cheaper, and faster certification of electrical goods.
