Appliance Design - September 2007 - (Page 12)

NEWS WATCH MIDDLEBY BUYS MORE. The Middleby Corp. of Elgin, Ill., has continued its acquisition ways with the $16 million purchase of Carter Hoffmann from Carrier Commercial Refrigeration Inc. Carter Hoffmann is a manufacturer of heated cabinets and holding equipment for the commercial foodservice industry. The company has annual revenues of approximately $20 million. In June, Middleby, which manufactures foodservice machinery, purchased MP Equipment, a Georgia-based manufacturer of baking equipment. FOODSERVICE SELL OFF. Aga Foodservice Group Plc is preparing to sell its foodservice businesses. The Britishbased company said the decision to sell its foodservice business stemmed from last year’s failure to merge with Enodis. The company is working with an equity firm to “unlock the value of these businesses for shareholders which, at an acceptable price, may involve the sale of the foodservice operations.” STORE MORE ENERGY. Researchers EC does it at North Carolina State University have deduced a way to improve high-energydensity capacitors so that they can store up to seven times as much energy per unit volume than a common capacitor. Mixing a polymer called PVDF with a polymer called CTFE results in a material with regions that can change their structure and enable the resultant material to store and release unprecedented amounts of energy. The team is working on a more ordered arrangement of the material inside the capacitor that could further increase the energy storage. Research is still needed to develop and test the capacitors. EFFICIENCY AGREEMENT. A consensus Rosenberg’s electronically commutated (EC) fans dramatically outperform other AC and DC designs. Compact and low-noise, they offer exceptional variable speed capability, greater efficiency, higher speeds and wider operating range. With no carbon brushes to wear out, you also get longer service life. They’re ideal for pressure control, master-slave designs and RS485 networks. Call today to see what Rosenberg EC fans can do for you. Call: (704) 893-0883 Fax: (704) 882-0755 e-mail sales@rosenbergusa.com www.rosenbergusa.com Representatives wanted agreement on federal energy-efficiency standards for commercial walk-in freezers and coolers has been established that would affect the design of new equipment manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2009. Congress must still approve the deal brokered by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The agreement covers walk-in coolers and freezers with an enclosed, walk-in storage space of less than 3,000 square feet that are refrigerated to temperatures above, at, or below 32 DegF. It also includes coolers and freezers with transparent, reachin doors. The proposal excludes products that are exclusively designed for medical, scientific or research purposes. The groups are urging Congress to approve the deal, which also calls on the U.S. Department of Energy to develop performance standards by 2012 and a final rule by 2020. See us at AHR Booth #3162 For more Information Enter 102 12 applianceDESIGN September 2007 A SOUND TOUCH. Sensitive Object and Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems business have signed a cross-licensing agreewww.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.rosenbergusa.com http://www.rosenbergusa.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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

Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Heavily Used Appliances Must Meet Special Demands. and OEMs are Using New Technologies to Help Meet the Challenges These Rugged Machine Face A University and OEM Collaborate on Appliance Design Concepts that Target America's Aging Population By Taking Steps to Better Understand User Behavior, Product Designers Can Avoid Many Common Usability Problems DesignMart The Use of Film-Insert Molding to Decorate Plastic Parts Can Reduce Process Steps and Help Improve Product Appearance The Laser-Bonding Marking Technique Meets the Need for Durable, High-Contrast Direct Part Merking and Decoration Properly Designed Safety Labels Help Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Safe Operation 3D Visualization and Markup Tools Make it Easier for Engineers to Collaborate Across Different Platforms A Materials Management Program Helps Design Engineers Optimize Their Materials Selection Process Throughout the Enterprise Flexible Circuitry Can Solve Design Dilemmas in Applications Where Electrically Connected Components Must Move New Products Meetings Advertiser’s Index Association Report: ARI

Appliance Design - September 2007

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