Appliance Design - November 2007 - (Page 11)

NEWS WATCH purchase price of $11.6 billion. The unit, which has its U.S. office in Pittsfield, Mass., is now called SABIC Innovative Plastics and will focus on thermoplastics and engineered plastics. Brian Gladden has been named CEO of SABIC Innovative Plastics. In addition to this buyout, SABIC has also purchased DSM and Huntsman’s petrochemicals businesses in Europe. required. The Radium, which measures 35-1/4 in. x 27 in. x 7-1/2 in., and the Scandium, which measures 41-1/2 in. x 21 in. x 7 in., have been designed to hang flat on a wall. tion network standards established for household appliances and audiovisual equipment. The specification, Home Network Communication Protocol Over IP for Multimedia Household Appliances, will allow networkable household appliances to link with networkable A/V equipment. The standard can be used with existing home networking standards and home net- HOME NETWORK STANDARD. A new standard developed by Geneva-based IEC links two different communica- ULTRA-SENSITIVE LCD. Japan’s Sharp Corp. has developed a new System LCD that features what it calls an ultra-sensitive touch screen. An optical sensor is built into each pixel of the LCD panel, eliminating the need to bond a film to the panel for touch screen functions, which results in a thinner display. Tactile recognition that is based on simultaneously touching multiple points on the screen is now possible. Future plans for the technology include fingerprint authentication. Finding a way MGI GETS HARNESSED. North Canton, Ohio-based Thermtrol Corp. has acquired MGI Manufacturing of Cary, Ill. MGI makes wire harnesses and specializes in insert and overmolding, harness assembly and contract assembly. Thermtrol makes thermal protection and wiring solutions. The MGI subsidiary has been renamed MGI Global LLC. In range hood assembly, 3M ™ VHB™ Tape bonds metal to metal replacing spot welds. when you feel cornered by appliance design or production problems 3M ™ Optical Lighting Film 2301 transports light where needed and helps keep heat away. 3M ™ Protective Tape keeps control panel looking new through transit and display. Removes easily by customer. Choice of additives: 3M ™ Plastic Additive iM30K reduces weight and improves dimensional stability of injection molded plastics. 3M ™ FA-188 Foam Additive reduces foam’s thermal conductivity to improve energy efficiency. Lennox Radium fireplace. NO VENT FIREPLACES. Lennox Hearth Products, an Orange, Calif.-based subsidiary of Lennox International, has introduced the Radium and Scandium catalytic vent-free gas fireplaces. The fireplaces use catalytic converter technology, which cleans the hot air as it leaves the combustion chamber. No chimney or venting is www.applianceDESIGN.com Free Appliance Design Guide www.3M.com/appliance 1-800-567-1639, ext.1625 ©2007 3M. 3M and VHB are trademarks of 3M Company. For more Information Enter 102 applianceDESIGN November 2007 11 5/2/07 9:49:36 AM AD060743Miatd.indd 1 http://www.3M.com/appliance http://www.3M.com/appliance http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - November 2007 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Today’s LEDs are Brighter and More Colorful than Previous Versions, Allowing Designers More Opportunities to Improve and Differentiate Their Products. When Converting from CCFL to LED Backlights in LCD Panels, New Driving Methods are Needed. Electrowetting Technology Allows Displays to be Designed in an Extensive Range of Colors. Noise Problems are Not Always Easy to Find or Fix, but Acoustic Labs Can Help Designers Ferret Out the “Good” Noise from the “Bad.” A New Sanitization Protocol for Clothes Washers Combines the Best of Three Well-Established Provisions to Ensure Efficiency, Quality and Safety. Stricter EMC Requirements Raise the Bar for Appliances with Electronic Controls and Require Testing to New Levels. Despite Added Cost and Complexity, Gas-Modulating Systems have Migrated from Large-Scale Boiler Applications to Smaller Residential and Commercial Furnaces and Appliances. A New Treatment Technology Hardens the Surface of Light Alloys such as Aluminum and Magnesium and Expands Their Potential Applications. DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: AHAM

Appliance Design - November 2007

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