page 32 Ignition Systems and Gas Technology Controlled Convenience
by Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Editor
Safety, efficiency, cost, and convenience-they’re what designers of appliances aspire to (if they want to keep their jobs).
Feature Articles
page 36 Executive Corner Extending a Global Reach
APPLIANCE Staff Feature
With production of a new washing machine plant set to begin in Russia next year, Turkish appliance maker Arçelik A.S. has experienced a positive 2005 and expects to do the same in 2006.
page 39 Material Handling A Marriage of Expedience
by D. Douglas Graham, Contributing Editor e•mail: editor@appliance.com
Trane Residential and Hyster Company partner to move HVAC product out the door.
page 51 Industrial Design Efficient Design
by Erin Biesen, Assistant Editor
LG Electronics worked with the industrial design and product development company ECCO Design to create a new style for a line of refrigerators specific to the American market.
page 26 Air Conditioners Partial Switching Power Factor Correction Module
by Ki-Young Jang, Yo-Chan Son, Man-Kee Kim, Sung-Il Yong, and Bum-Seok Suh, Fairchild Semiconductor
This paper introduces an integrated power module for a partial switching power factor correction circuit (PSP) used in air-conditioning systems. The proposed module incorporates two insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and rectifier diodes, along with a gate-driving low-voltage integrated circuit (LVIC) and a thermistor for temperature monitoring, all of which are integrated into a direct-bonded-copper (DBC) based transfer-molded package. It is intended for use in inverter systems of low-power air-conditioners and is expected to provide compactness, reliability, and electrical and thermal performance.
page 30 Technology Report DC-AC Inverters
Endicott Research Group is offering a family of DC-AC inverters that feature a vacuum-encapsulated design to ensure cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) ignition.
page 31 APPLIANCE ENGINEER - Electronics Report Engineering Reaction-Assisted Molding Process
Developed as an offshoot of the existing reaction injection molding (RIM) molding technology, the new reaction-assisted molding process (RAMP) is used to encapsulate electronics into smart cards without requiring the traditional layering manufacturing process.
page 53 Laundry Appliances Engineering Designed for Humans
Whirlpool India used advanced feasibility studies to optimize the ergonomics of a new washer design.
Production
page 54 Laundry Appliances Drum Line
by Erin Biesen, Assistant Editor e•mail: erin@appliance.com
After deciding to transition from stainless steel to plastic washing machine tubs, Slovenian appliance maker Gorenje looked to Meccanica Generale for a complete turn-key system.
page 18 European Report Insourcing: PC Production in High-Cost Germany
by Paul Roggema, Europe Correspondent, APPLIANCE Magazine
Europe has had its share of bad news on the outsourcing front, especially in regards to high-wage Germany, but German PC maker Fujitsu-Siemens Computers (FSC) poses an interesting contrast.
page 18 China Report China Implements Appliance Noise Standard
by Viloet Han, China Correspondent, APPLIANCE Magazine
A new appliance noise standard, Noise Limit Value for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, went into effect in China on August 1, 2005. Designated China National Standard GB4214.1, the standard was issued jointly by the China Quality Surveillance Examination Quarantine Bureau and the National Standardization Management Committee.
page 9 Appliance Line - Editorial Fostering A Culture of Efficiency
Tim Somheil, Editor
It has just been a few weeks since I took over as editor of APPLIANCE magazine, but they have been interesting times for our industry and the world.
