Appliance Design - March 2009 - (Page 11)

NEwS watch NaNO NOtES REQUIRED. The Canadian government has enacted national regulation requiring companies to detail their use of engineered nanomaterials on a one-time basis. The information will be used to evaluate the risks of engineered nanomaterials and help develop safety measures. The one-time request targets companies and institutions that manufactured or imported a total quantity greater than 1 kg of a nanomaterial during the 2008 calendar year. Canada’s action comes shortly after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an interim report on its Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, a voluntary information submission program that has received limited industry participation. The EPA report notes the lack of data the program garnered and says the agency will consider how best to use the federal Toxic Substances Control Act to gather more risk data. compliance. In addition, manufacturers believe a certification program should be established that would clearly identify those units that have been independently tested to verify they achieve a federally established minimum performance rating. The federal government is working with industry to develop a testing methodology for this equipment by 2010 and a final rule is expected to be adopted in January 2012. DIGItaL DELaYED. The mandatory transition to digital television was extended until June 12 after the House of Representatives voted to delay the transition by four months. The Senate had earlier passed similar legislation. Broadcasters were scheduled to cease analog broadcasts on Feb. 17, but as recently as January an estimated 6.5 million households were unprepared for the switch. President Obama is looking to increase financing for the switch and may include in an economic stimulus package up to $650 million in financing for additional coupons. Opponents warned that the move will cause confusion and create a financial burden on TV stations that will broadcast both analog and digital signals, and delay the use of those airwaves by public safety agencies and wireless companies. < INtERNatIONaL aPPLIaNcE MaNUFactURING 2009 International Appliance Manufacturing magazine is the industry’s annual technical/white paper review for the household appliance market. Reach 23,414 executives & design engineers responsible for the administration, design, testing and manufacturing of household appliances at OEMs around the world: 5,019 print copies plus 15,801 appliance DESIGN email subscribers.+ LawS’ chILLING EFFEct. Manufacturers of walk-in coolers and freezers say that a federal energy efficiency law that regulates the design of their equipment will cause them to lose bids to noncompliant competitors. In California, which has had a similar law in place since 2008, manufacturers report a competitive disadvantage because of noncompliance. Now that these standards have become federal law, refrigeration manufacturers are concerned this will become a national problem. The regulation includes measures to improve the efficiency of walk-in freezers and coolers, and many manufacturers have designed their products to comply. However, the law does not have an enforcement mechanism and this, combined, with a lack of awareness among installers and owners about the laws, will result in noncompliance, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). To address this issue, the AHRI launched an education initiative to help distributors, installers, and equipment owners learn about the standard and its requirements. The association also developed a checklist to help determine if a refrigeration unit is in Total Circulation by Region+ (Print & Digital) North America 69% Europe 13% Asia 12% Other Countries 6% Total Circulation by Region+ (Print only) Europe 41% North America 27% Asia 19% Other Countries 13% For advertising information, contact Fern Sheinman, Publisher, at 1-858-259-4585 or sheinmanf@bnpmedia.com Issue: July 2009 +Publisher's Own Data, 06/08. Ad Close: June 5, 2009 applianceDESIGN March 2009 11 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - March 2009 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Transmitting Power Wirelessly Promises to Reduce the Ever-Growing Tangle of Cords and Cables Found in the Modern Home. There Are Different Technological Approaches for Achieving this Goal, and Some Are Already on the Market. Electrochemical Capacitors Can Provide an Extra Peak-Power Boost in Battery-Operated Appliances, Allowing Product Designs to Have Smaller Battery Packs. Metallic Foams Put the Properties of Metals into Lightweight Packages. Applications for this Emerging Technology Include Gas Burners, Heat Exchangers, and Electronics Housings. Hall-Effect Switches Are Compact and Provide a High Degree of Reliability and Durability as They Virtually Eliminate Mechanical Wear, Shock, and Contact Oxidation. Blowing Agents for Polyurethane Foam Insulation Face Increased Scrutiny Due to Global Warming Concerns, but Alternatives with Lower GWP Values May Provide Solutions to Meet These Challenges. Design Marts Association Report: AHAM Advertisers' Index

Appliance Design - March 2009

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