Appliance Design - August 2007 - (Page 11)

NEWS WATCH and evaluation, J. Clarence Davies, provides a 25-step roadmap to oversee nanotechnology and product development. The roadmap includes a voluntary program to collect information and the creation of a joint research institute to conduct research on the effects of nanotechnology. its high-definition offerings. Blockbuster has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year and found that consumers were choosing Blu-ray titles more than 70 percent of the time. The announcement has been called a potential turning point in the battle between the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. However, the development may be less than it appears on its surface, according to a study by IMS Research. The market research company says the alignment between Blockbuster and the Blu-ray Disc format makes strategic sense as Blockbuster has current and future agreements with Sony, which backs the Blu-ray format. The study says the announcement will ultimately have limited impact. COMBO BOILERS. A.O. Smith (China) Investment Co. Ltd. and Fagor Electrodomesticos, S. Coop., have signed an agreement to jointly invest in a new company to manufacture residential, wall-hung gas combination boilers in China. The new company, Fagor – A.O. Smith (Nanjing) Combi Boiler Co., Ltd., will occupy a facility in Nanjing close to A.O. Smith’s existing water heater operations. The company will make combination boilers to provide potable water and space heating for residential applications. Element In a winning routine, all the elements are executed flawlessly. A master of only one element has no place in the competition. Some suppliers seem to forget that. Like a championship routine, Weber Knapp has all the right elements: decades of experience designing counterbalance hinges, lean manufacturing processes, and service beyond compare. Let us show you how Weber Knapp can add value to your product – and to your business! ONLINE PIRACY. AT&T plans to work with the entertainment industry to devise technology that identifies offshore content pirates who use AT&T’s network to upload illegal copies of movies and music. The company still must develop the technology and address legal questions regarding customer privacy. Competing provider, Verizon, has balked at developing technology along this line. GLOBAL USB? Chip designer Alereon, Austin, Texas, is releasing a chip that uses a frequency band that is legal all over the world for wireless BUYOUT APPROVAL. China’s Ministry of Commerce has approved the sale of a stake in Guangdong Midea Electric Appliances Co. to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The deal worth 716.7 million yuan still requires final approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Midea is a China-based appliance manufacturer. SIGNAL LUX ACQUIRED. Vemer-Siber Group SpA has signed an agreement for the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of Signal Lux Italian companies: Signal Lux MDS S.r.l. and Signal Lux Italia S.p.A.. Signal Lux has plants in Italy, France, and Tunisia and is a European leader in signal lights, rockers and push-button switches. The agreement includes a call option for Vemer-Siber Group to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Signal Lux France S.a.S, a company that is currently subjected to a governmental examination procedure. BLOCKBUSTER GOES BLU. Blockbuster will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores when it expands www.applianceDESIGN.com AD08074Web.indd 1 800.828.9254 www.weberknapp.com sales@weberknapp.com For more Information Enter 104 applianceDESIGN August 2007 11 6/28/07 10:19:22 AM http://www.weberknapp.com http://www.weberknapp.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - August 2007

Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch A Reed Switch is Simople, yet Versatile, and Designers are Finding New Uses for this Time-Tested Technology A Novel Actuation and Sensing Technology can Register a Light Touch, but Resist Blows from a Hammer Tracing the Source of Noise is Made Easier with Noise Source Identification Methods Appliance Noise can be Annoying, but Designers have Many Material Choices to Help Rein in the Racket Nanocomposites are No Longer a Technology for the Future. These Plastic Materials are Already on the Job A New High-Strength, Low-Density Glass-Microsphere Additive can Improve Plastic Part and Molding Performance A New Electromagnetic Weld/Bonding Process Helps Ensure Long-Term Integrity of Joints in Plastic Parts Snap-Based Technology Eases Installation and Makes Products More Serviceable Two-Part Silicone Adhesives Provide a Rapid-Cure Alternative to Traditional One-Part Silicones Classified DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: GAMA

Appliance Design - August 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.