Academic literature on the topic 'Plastics and household appliances'

This study aims to reveal the portrait of Javanese women in Java in the past. This research was conducted using an associative-diachronic meaning approach. The disclosure of phenomena is carried out by describing each lexicon of traditional household tools based on their associative meaning. The lexicon is analyzed based on its associative meaning based on the local wisdom of Javanese culture. Diachronic studies to explore the wealth of local wisdom stored in traditional household appliances as a legacy from the past. The level of urgency of this research is the shift and replacement of the use of traditional household tools to tools made from plastic and metal. This phenomenon will lead to abandonment of traditional household appliances and being forgotten. The research location is in Kudus Regency which is part of the north coast of Central Java. The data collection methods used were in-depth interviews and document data extraction. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah wawancara mendalam dan ekstraksi data dokumen. The data analysis method used was to sort out the semantic elements and determine the associative meaning of the lexicon of traditional household appliances. The novelty of the findings lies in the design of descriptions of associative semantic elements in traditional household appliances based on local wisdom.

The input collected from warranty claims data links customer feedback with product quality. Results from warranty claim analysis can potentially improve product quality, customer relationships and positively affect business. However working on warranty claims data holds many challenges that requires a significant share of time devoted to data cleaning and data processing. The purpose of warranty claims analysis is to get the comprehensive overview of the reliability, costs and quality of household appliances produced by ASKO. While there are different ways to approach this problem, we will focus on non-parametric and semi-parametric methods, by using Kaplan-Meier estimators and Cox proportional hazard model respectively. These kinds of models are time dependent and therefore used for prediction of household appliance reliability. Even though non-parametric models are quite informative they cannot handle additional characteristics about observable product hence the semi-parametric Cox proportional hazard model was proposed. Apart from the reliability analysis, we will also predict warranty costs with probit model and observe inequality in household appliances part failures as a part of quality control analysis. Described methods were selected due to the fact that the warranty claims analysis will be practiced in future by ASKO’s quality department and therefore straight forward methods with very informative results are needed.

With the promotion of the 2030 sustainable development goals, more and moreEuropean countries started to highlight them in society, many European people alsoshowed that they are willing to purchase sustainable products, but theenvironmentally conscious consumers rarely translate “green” concerns andintentions into actual purchase behavior. This project is aimed to provide consumerswith comprehensive information about the products and find out the solution toencourage choosing sustainable products while purchasing home appliances. Nowadays home appliances are becoming a core area of consumption in bothdeveloped and developing countries, and it is one of the relevant areas ofintervention to ensure sustainable production (Hischier et al, 2020). Consumersbehavior has a big influence on the production, consumption and sustainability ofhome appliances, therefore it has been considered as the core studying field in thisproject. In order to have a better understanding of peoples current attitude towardssustainability and home appliances, an online survey was carried out with theconsideration of the purpose of this study and Theory of planned behavior (TPB)model. Then, by analysis of the customer journey map (CJM), the author found thepart with the most touchpoints, “information”. After brainstorming and benchmarking,a service design that focuses on Web User interface (UI) design wasproposed as the final proposal.

Many studies have conducted in the past that related to the domestic energy sector and households' appliances. These previous studies have explained the energy trends in the United Kingdom. In addition to this, the past studies have also provided wealth of information. However, all of these studies had some limitations. In addition, there were many gaps in the past studies regarding to the timing of usage the household's appliances and their daily contribution to the daily and peak demand. In this study, the researcher intended to overcome the limitations and gaps regarding the appliances time of use in the UK. In the present study, the data collected from Hillingdon Borough of London to ensure the study use the most reliable and valid data. Most importantly, suitable sampling and data collection technique applied in this study, which helped to obtain the appropriate data and outcome. All respondents were from the domestic sectors of the United Kingdom. Apart from this, to measure energy consumption in a more accurate manner, home appliances were categorised into several categories based on their functionality. Moreover, the household's appliances were categorised into time categories based on the time of use the appliances in order to determine the contribution of individual appliances at a certain time slot of the day to the total household consumption. Finally, the recommendations that have suggested in this study based on the current study as well as past studies. This means that the recommendations are a combination of all the major studies conducted. Additionally, based on the time a category of the household's appliances, a model was introduced that helped to determine how much of electrical appliances energy consuming in the UK households. Based on this model, the appliances consumption can managed and controlled. Thus, the model will help in mitigating the chances of the energy peak demand and will contribute towards energy and cost savings. Further, this study provides a valuable contribution to the field of smart homes as through the developed model, people can design a more efficient smart home. This specific method of determining energy demand has made the study more appropriate to forecast the 24h electricity demand and electricity price.

Historically, domestic tasks such as preparing food and washing and drying clothes and dishes were done by hand. In a modern home many of these chores are taken care of by machines such as washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers. When the first such machines came on the market customers were happy that they worked at all! Today, the costs of electricity and customers’ environmental awareness are high, so features such as low electricity, water and detergent use strongly influence which household machine the customer will buy. One way to achieve lower electricity usage for the tumble dryer and the dishwasher is to add a heat pump system. The function of a heat pump system is to extract heat from a lower temperature source (heat source) and reject it to a higher temperature sink (heat sink) at a higher temperature level. Heat pump systems have been used for a long time in refrigerators and freezers, and that industry has driven the development of small, high quality, low price heat pump components. The low price of good quality heat pump components, along with an increased willingness to pay extra for lower electricity usage and environmental impact, make it possible to introduce heat pump systems in other household products. However, there is a high risk of failure with new features. A number of household manufacturers no longer exist because they introduced poorly implemented new features, which resulted in low quality and product performance. A manufacturer must predict whether the future value of a feature is high enough for the customer chain to pay for it. The challenge for the manufacturer is to develop and produce a high-performance heat pump feature in a household product with high quality, predict future willingness to pay for it, and launch it at the right moment in order to succeed. Tumble dryers with heat pump systems have been on the market since 2000. Paper I reports on the development of a transient simulation model of a commercial heat pump tumble dryer. The measured and simulated results were compared with good similarity. The influence of the size of the compressor and the condenser was investigated using the validated simulation model. The results from the simulation model show that increasing the cylinder volume of the compressor by 50% decreases the drying time by 14% without using more electricity.  Paper II is a concept study of adding a heat pump system to a dishwasher in order to decrease the total electricity usage. The dishwasher, dishware and water are heated by the condenser, and the evaporator absorbs the heat from a water tank. The majority of the heat transfer to the evaporator occurs when ice is generated in the water tank. An experimental setup and a transient simulation model of a heat pump dishwasher were developed. The simulation results show a 24% reduction in electricity use compared to a conventional dishwasher heated with an electric element. The simulation model was based on an experimental setup that was not optimised. During the study it became apparent that it is possible to decrease electricity usage even more with the next experimental setup.

Currently plastic gears are widely used in industry, and not only for lightly loaded applications like household appliances, tools, and toys, but also in the more demanding areas of machinery in automotive applications. However there is a need to investigate important properties such as load capacity, endurance, cost, life, stiffness and wear. Tooth wear is one of the major failure modes in plastic gears just like with steel gears. This paper focuses on the simulation of wear for standard and non-standard gears using an analytical approach. A numerical model for wear prediction of gear pairs is developed. A wear model based on Archard’s equation is employed to predict wear depth. The variation of the contact load generated by the cumulative tooth profile wear is simulated and examined. A MATLAB-based virtual tool is developed to analyze wear behavior of standard and non-standard spur gears depending on various gear parameters. In this paper, this virtual tool is introduced with numerical examples.

This paper presents the analysis of a 2 DOF end-effector that carries out a haptic tool consisting in a developable servo-actuated plastic strip. To overcome some drawbacks of conventional systems related to the use of point based force-feedback, tactile and glove devices we have developed the triangular mesh approach in the developable haptic interface. The developable haptic strip, has evolved as a result of this research. The haptic interface of our system consists of a haptic strip that is inspired by the deformable tape that designers use for creating and modifying aesthetic shapes. The first step for designing the end effector and the haptic strip mechanism has been the assignment of both the total length of the haptic strip and the number of tessellation triangles required to control the strip as a developable surface. The strip is aimed at haptically rendering medium sized design objects (vases, lamps, household appliances, etc.). Thus, the total length of the strip has been set to be 160 mm. This length value also ensures the possibility to easily manipulate the strip. Seven triangles have been assigned in order to maintain the haptic strip symmetric; this consideration is particularly important because guarantees an adequate balancing of weight in the mechanism. The device is based on a modular architecture of elements that deform a plastic tape.

Nowadays, almost every family has one electric rice cooker, thus making electric rice cooker one of the most popular household appliance in our society. If the product is not designed ecologically and is used heavily, then the product may lead to large ecological impact to our environment. To assess a product’s environmental impacts, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is utilized. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, for one such technology (electric rice cooker), no complete LCA studies have existed by far. Therefore, the question about the electric rice cooker’s environmental performance is still open. This paper presents an LCA study for the complete life cycle of an electric rice cooker with the power 500Watts as the functional unit. In order to conduct LCA study, the whole life cycle of electric rice cooker was divided into four primary phases: raw materials acquisition, product manufacturing, product utilization and final disposal. To facilitate the data collection and LCA implementation, the whole life cycle system was classified as two subsystems — background system and foreground system. Based on the proposed method, primary data and environmental impact calculation was aided by Simapro 7.2 software. In the light of the Ecoindicator-99 methodology, eleven impact categories (Carcinogens, Resp. organics, Resp. inorganics, Climate change, Radiation, Ozone layer, Ecotoxicity, Acidification, Land use, Minerals, Fossil fuels) were used for the classification and characterization of the life cycle impact assessment. In this paper, the LCA study was found as a very helpful tool to define ecodesign measures for this product. Several measures are suggested to the manufacturers to implement the ecodesign in the future: 1) Use recyclable plastics in the minor parts and hidden components, such as switcher, handle etc.; 2) Reduce the number of different materials in packaging; 3) Avoid incompatible plastics during recycling; 4) Minimize the volume of the heat plate on the premise of meeting the rated heating power.

Household appliances and their sound quality are important for our daily life quality. However the appropriate characterization of their sound is a difficult task. Not only product users but also manufacturers can profit from a sound label which characterize the perception of the customers. The purchase decision-making process according to acoustic criteria will be supported by such kind of label. In addition, a label and its components give orientation to the manufacturers during their product development process. Essential aspect for such kind of label is that it should represent the perception of the customers. Therefore psychoacoustical properties, e.g., loudness, sharpness, roughness, tonality, etc., are advantageous for characterization purposes. It would be beneficial to combine these psychoacoustical descriptors into a sound quality label, which is easy to understand. The authors have developed several sound labels for household appliances based on psychoacoustic properties. These sound labels are the result of the listening experiments which were conducted with potential customers. In this paper, various aspects of these investigations are summarized, extended and discussed.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.