Appliance Technology News

Although the idea sounds naively ambitious, the company promoting the concept has done it before: Microsoft. In addition, consider: many homes today house multiple network devices, from smartphones and TVs to game consoles and computers. In other words, the basic ingredients needed for your smart home may already be in place. Only a "software stack" that connects them is needed, and Microsoft engineers are working toward that end with a product the company calls HomeOS. This video demos what may be the norm not too long from now.

Ecomate® is an affordable, non-ODP, non-GWP, VOC-exempt blowing agent, and family of polyurethane foams, providing excellent insulation properties for appliances, while helping protect the environment. We help customers produce better products and reduce costs through superior foam systems, advanced equipment technology, and unparalleled technical support. Compare and you'll choose ecomate®.

Master Bond UV15DC80 is a dual cure epoxy system featuring a primary cure using UV light plus a secondary heat curing mechanism. UV15DC80 allows "shadowed out" areas that UV light curing alone cannot reach. The heat cure portion can be initiated at 80° C rather than at the more common 125° C.

How does a leading appliance manufacturer keep one step ahead of customer expectations? By 1) testing new concepts developed with simulation tools directly on the real machine, and 2) validating control algorithm firmware. This white paper explains how National Instruments helps Whirlpool ensure washing machine reliability.

Keeping a clothes dryer quiet is easier said than done. Noise sources are many: the motor; dryer drum, base, and frame; plus the tumbling clothes themselves. In this piece, Appliance Design examines the role of damping. An underutilized strategy, damping dissipates vibration energy — before it becomes airborne.

Able to monitor five vital health signs plus analyze ECG signals, the "Life Touch" sensor constantly updates a patient's health status. The wireless device, currently under test in the Netherlands, transmits the electronic health records to an open-source cloud-based system. Doctors access the cloud anytime, anywhere to better track patient status.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, Healthcare Engineering.

Influenced by golf balls, tested in wind tunnels, and on display at this summer's London Olympics: Nike's Pro TurboSpeed track suit is the latest attempt to streamline athletes. The dimple pattern, strategically placed where the body offers the most wind resistance, is claimed to shave a tiny — but significant — amount of time from a runner's performance.

Learn how using MetaLX™ polymers instead of paint can save you money and reduce your environmental footprint. Engineering resins developed to eliminate the need for painting achieve the desired appearance right out of the mold.

More details in our Whitepaper Getting Green Without Paint: "Engineering Resins for Non-Painted Appearance Applications."

Endurance™ FireWire Cable Assemblies are now immediately available from NorthwireDirect and authorized distributors world-wide. These rugged industrial-grade assemblies feature cable rated for continuous flexing and carry an exclusive lifetime warranty.

Feeling sheepish about that big swath of thirsty green lawn surrounding your house? One contributor to treehugger offers a way to rationalize those pangs of guilt. A sequence of photos, each accompanied by simple instructions, explains how to build a solar powered lawn mower. All that's needed is a 12 V solar cell and a battery-operated mower.

By any name, this vehicle stops traffic. Powered by a lithium ion battery and a 1 kW motor, the Solowheel can carry a 250 lb rider as far as 20 miles on a single charge; top speed is about 10 mph. Regenerative braking kicks in when travelling downhill or when slowing down. The rider, leaning forward and back to start and stop, stands on a pair of floorboards.

After reading this review of the Stratasys Mojo 3D printer, readers may reconsider their outsourcing plans. The desktop printer is designed for smaller parts and features a 5 x 5 x 5 in. build volume. Setup is said to be simple; the reviewer claims users can expect to be producing parts within 45 minutes of unboxing. Perhaps best of all, he reports, the price comes in under $10,000.

The first transparent OLED lighting panels are shipping to technology media and OLED customers, although they may not be available through conventional retail channels for some time. Available in three sizes, with the smallest about the size of an iPhone, the panels look and feel like regular pieces of lightly-tinted glass. Potential applications include consumer electronics as well as home and office equipment.

Rogue Valley Microdevices offers E-Beam Evaporation of metal stacks including but not limited to Ti, Cr, Ni, Ag, Au, and Pt. Evaporation is done at low temperatures that will not damage photo resist for metal lift-off. We have the in-house capability to do complete device fabrication for customers.

Patlite offers a smart and smooth signal tower to its lineup, the LS7. By changing the surface of the body into a smoother form, the adhesion of water and dust is reduced. The structure no longer exposes any screws, shafts, or other metals to be adaptable for various environments.

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