page 38
Motor Controls
Controlled Drive
by David Simpson, Contributing Editor
As appliance companies add sophisticated motors to their products, integrated circuit (IC) suppliers have worked to ease the design process and reduce motor controller costs.

page 45
Supplier Solutions
Plastic Materials and Equipment
PS Films Offer Functional and Aesthetic Solutions

page 55
Domotechnica 2006
Domotechnica 2006: Exhibitor Highlights
A sign of industry tradition, European appliance trade show Domotechnica 2006 is set to take place Feb. 13-16, 2006 in Cologne, Germany.

page 58
Commercial Foodservice Equipment
Dishing Up Efficiency
by Jill Russell, Senior Associate Editor
In the foodservice industry, commercial equipment manufacturers are aiming to decrease cooking times and unit footprints while increasing ease-of-use and reliability to give owners more bang for their buck.

page 64

13th Annual Portrait of the Japanese Appliance Industry
This report includes an article describing the state of various Japanese Appliance Industry Market segments.

page 29
The Open Door
Nanotech in the Refrigerator?
Nanotechnology is an emerging discipline that uses a new set of tools such as atomic force microscopes and nanoimprint lithography to engineer materials and devices with features that are less than 100 nm in size.

page 30
Engineering
Design Recommendations for Electromagnetic Compatibility
by Sankar Kumar Rajan and Vijay Chari, Satyam Computer Services, Ltd.
The following addresses electromagnetic compatibility in consumer appliances, with a focus on the design of electronic control cards that need to meet governing standards.

page 34
Engineering: Technology Report
Wire-to-Wire Connector System
A new modular connector system is said to be the first to offer multi-module housings for white goods such as refrigerators, washing machines, heating units, and ventilators.

page 35
Electronics Report
Microcontrollers with LIN Capability
A new series of 16-bit processors use hardware-based technology to allow engineers to easily implement connectivity features into appliances.

page 36
Motor Technology
Combustion Gas Blower
A fully modulating, premix-ready combustion air blower has been designed for high-efficiency condensing boilers rated up to 100,000 Btu/h.

page 60
Commercial Foodservice Equipment
Handling Safety
by Jill Russell, Senior Associate Editor
To help increase the food safety of its mobile refrigerated cabinets, Cres Cor, a maker of mobile foodservice equipment, turned to antimicrobial coating supplier Horizon Business Group.

page 75
Special Report: Dehumidifiers
At Lightning Speed
by Jill Russell, Senior Associate Editor
When HVAC OEM Thermastor needed help keeping up with orders increased by Hurricane Katrina, it turned to contract manufacturer Dane Manufacturing, which utilized an automated laser cutter from Salvagnini America, Inc.

page 26
People
Melissa Tata of Dell Inc.
Melissa Tata is a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and received the Distinguished New Engineer award in November 2005.

page 9
Appliance Line
Cautiously Connecting
Tim Somheil, Editor
Home networking technology finally emerged in 2005 as affordable and widely available technology.