Global Views on Hardware Headlines August 6, 2008
Posted by champion in : Hardware , add a commentFastener Industry Up 5% Per Year Through 2007
Industrial fastener demand, usually dancing with the pace of industrialization and business circle of the world, is predicted to climb no less than 5% every year through 2007 to over $11 billion. Generally speaking, the demand will be spurred by robust growth in durable goods production and building spending. Accelerating global economic growth will also contribute to help speed in aftermarket fastener demand, even though improvements in fastener quality will somewhat curb maintenance/ repair /operations sales growth. Building sector, electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing will enjoy the fastest growth in end-use markets for fasteners.
Standardized industrial fasteners will continue to govern overall product demand. However the sales of application-specific fasteners jump at a prompter pace than other standardized product types while more OEMs take the place of non-specialized items with application-specific designs. In the other hand, demand for aerospace-grade fasteners is predicted to soar at better-than-expected rate through 2007, fueled by new momentum in aircraft production as global economic climate bodes well military expenditures keep climbing. Recently, innovations and improvement on fastener design focus on new generations of self-locking and self-sealing fasteners, which can be installed without the use of tools and fasteners fabricated from advanced alloys, composites and plastic materials. As more reinforced plastics are successfully developed and launched, plastic fasteners will be widely applied in a growing number of settings.
Global Valve Demands to Rise 5.5% Through 2007
Global demand for industrial valves is predicted to climb 5.5% per year through 2007 to over US$60 billion. The growth momentum is specially attributed to the blooming macroeconomic growth in the developing regions of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The markets in the US, Japan and Western Europe, although not very prominent in performing, will also show slight improvement. Rising fixed investment levels will boost most valve consuming sectors and strengthen underdeveloped infrastructures in these regions.
Die-casting Hardware Boosted from Auto Sector
Die-casting is a process to form metal shapes from molten material, in most cases, typically nonferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and zinc. Die-casting processes include sand casting, precision investment (lost wax) casting, and permanent mold casting. Generally speaking, the major market for die-casting is the automotive industry. Especially smaller electric motors calling for the application of die cast aluminum housings and end covers, further promote the usage of die-castings. Additionally, for further development of the die casting industry, production scale is of prime importance for industry players. However, the prerequisite for a large production size is large investment. The automotive industry is surely a strong support. In recent years, attention has been paid to the development of large capacity die casting machines, bringing up hot chamber machines accordingly.
Variety Uses of P/M, Powder Metallurgy
The basic P/M process uses pressure and heat to form precision metal parts and shapes. Powder is squeezed at room temperature by itself in a rigid precision die into an engineered shape like a gear. After the mass of powder is squeezed into a shape and ejected from the press, it is fed slowly through a special high-temperature controlled atmosphere furnace to bond the particles together. In contrast to other metal forming techniques, P/M parts are shaped directly from powders while castings are formed from metal that must be melted, and wrought parts are shaped by deformation of hot or cold metal, or by machining. P/M parts are used in a variety of end products such as lock hardware, garden tractors, snowmobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, auto brake and steering systems, etc. New Developments include improved manufacturing processes and commercialization such as metal injection molding: (MIM), rapid solidification, P/M forging, spray forming, high temperature vacuum sintering, warm compacting and both cold and hot isostatic pressing. The use of P/M hot forged connecting rods in automobiles and a P/M camshaft for automobile engines. The use of P/M composite camshafts in auto engines and main bearing caps, and stainless steel ABS sensor rings and exhaust system flanges. New submicron and nanophase powders for cutting tools and other specialized applications.
Bearings, Small Parts Big Use
Bearings belong to a major component in a machine to reduce friction and, simultaneously maintain the expected precision and stability while machine working. By statistics, the size of global bearing market approximates US$30 billion every year. Coming in over ten thousand kinds, bearings can be found everywhere in a gear from small drivers, motor cars, conveyors, electrical machinery to big ships. Fundamentally, bearings are composed of two parts: sliding bearings and rolling bearings. The most frequent-used bearings are linear bearings, connecting bearings, ball bearings, roller bearings, trust bearings and needle bearings. The precision quality of bearings depends on hardness, wear rate, mechanic strength and stability along with concentricity, sphericalness and roughness. In these years, the users of conventional ball bearings and roller bearings have been gradually upgraded to ball guide bars, linear bearings, connecting bearings and oil-less bushings. Some higher-level bearings should resort to the help of technicians. King-size bearings for steel-making or petrochemical industry are heavily installed and traced by technical suppliers. The popularity of NC/ CNC machine tools and automated warehouse systems provides a stable-growing background for bearings industry. The up-and-coming trends follow the advantages of high precision, high speed, compact size, lightweight, maintenance-free and durability.
Article from ttnet.net
Incentives Promote Warm-hearted Wills October 18, 2007
Posted by wenbi in : Gifts , add a commentttnet.net - [2006/01/24]
The basic ideas for incentives lies on their charm of giving things away for free, helping spark some kind of ongoing relationship with recipients- one in which the name of the company or product sticks in the mind. Especially, when global economic climate continues to worsen, job fear to soar, income to shrink and oil price to skyrocket, marketers have to resort to tools in helping them optimize their resource to impress their branding image on consumers.
Here we see a rising demand from incentives and giveaways sector as the expenditure of corporate advertisement partly shed to cheaper promotional giveaways and incentives. These gimmicks are in possession of all-pervasive influence penetrating to the full spectrum of our daily life, contriving some commercial missions, and usually coming to fruition. There is a widespread increase in smaller ad hoc pieces. The slogan of incentives is quite simple- it’s free for all. However, they are no more than the servants for brand names. Industry players are requested to diversify product lines so that they can accommodate their customers’ needs by personalizing with given logos and/or messages.
More and more buyers signal to spend money on promotional activities and expect a lot in return. Nevertheless, the industry players those who can’t bring added value to the table will no longer have a seat. Incentives, a tough business, always render people with its very competitive price wise. After alternating years of tremendous highs and lows, we saw new players in and old out of business so drastically. All the winners stick to two easygoing principles: cheaper and faster.
Generally speaking, giveaways can be categorized into the three: renewable gifts, useful tools, and reference. However, almost anything free can be a giveaway, from pens, memos, staplers, keychains, mouse pads, mugs, placemats, calendars, watches, candles, tress balls, caps, T-shirts, radios, laser pointers, picture frames, filing-cabinet magnets and much more.
In plastic giveaways, popular are green products like recycled paper goods, PET recycled fiber goods, chemical-free goods, non-additive goods, natural goods, gardening goods and aroma-therapeutic goods.
Pens are great incentives as they are a must to not only students but also people of all ages. People are rare to cherish a fax copy or an e-mail. If needed, they may print it out and save it, yet, totally different from a card or a piece of paper handwritten. For office use, a great emphasis on ergonomics is never out of fashion. The pens with soft grips make for a light and fluent style of writing. Erasable ballpoint and felt pens in triangular designs are welcome among school children and trend-conscious young generation.
Plastic or acrylic tends to outsell metal as the material of choice for kitchen giveaways. Popular are green products like recycled paper goods, PET recycled fiber goods, chemical-free goods, non-additive goods, natural goods, gardening goods and aroma-therapeutic goods.
Absolutely, calculators won’t miss the great chance for promotion purpose, especially boosted by fierce price-cut. Aside from electronic functions, latest calculator releases also feature flip-top, computer-shaped and arched desk-set versions. Instead of making greater demands on the calculators’ memory, new functions offer non-keypad features. Most items perform basic calculations as well as function as a regular and world-time clock and alarm, calendar and thermograph. Other units also work as a countdown timer, pocket radio, phone-number index and Euro converter. Designs are inspired by the highly popular personal digital assistant, and recent releases imitate PDAs with features such as a touch screen, a stylus, added memory for a data based, and scheduling function.
Novelty meets practicality in keychains that are also voice recorders, calculators and sound- or light-emitting devices. A growing number of multifunction keychains are battery-powered devices with electronic instead of mechanical functions. Moreover, more functional designs, including quick release, LED-embedded flashlight, add values on products.
Living in stressful modern world, people love to relax themselves by enjoying the candlelight meals as well as by the help of aromatherapy products. Viewed as a relatively affordable and accessible fashion accessory for the home, in the US, about 7 in every 10 households loves to use candles in their house. More designs come in Christmas figurines, musical fruit shapes, scented models, and heat-resistant wax candles with dried flowers pressed onto the surface. Candles of red, especially natural wax color, is a comeback trend.
Just “In” Do-it-yourself Tool Markets
Posted by wenbi in : Tools , add a commentttnet.net - [2007/02/01]
The popularity of DIY goes worldwide as we see more and more end-users love to do their own home improvement and renovations. Consumers regard it as an enjoyable pastime and encourage DIYers to brainstorm their own ideas out for themselves as industry people offer the user-friendly, self-explanatory and labor-saving products that make home-improvement easier, even enable a sense of achievement, purely done by own hands to save home repairing expense. Now, increasing female shoppers have joined the queues. By the a survey, while purchasing holiday gifts, 48% of U.S. women choose home improvement items, such as new flooring, appliances, window coverings and even tools, compared to 39% prefer apparel or other personal items, such as jewelry.In generally, the DIY market differentiates from the professional one, particularly as the former consumers tend to be sensible to price in purchasing decision. By this, DIYers are always searching for the tools, affordable yet practical to suit their needs. DIY tools, hand tools and power tools alike, are ergonomically designed with cushioned grip with asymmetric handle design and new, lightweight and durable materials, which enables end users to work more efficiently and safely for greater productivity, higher quality work, less fatigue, less wear-and-tear on joints and muscles and lessened danger of twisting or straining their wrist, arm or elbow. For strengthened safety, the tools with high-voltage insulation on the handles are required particularly to the electricians who need extra protection as working near live circuits. Multi-task tools provide stripping, cutting and crimping all with the same tool, incorporating an adjustable wrench with jaws that open like pliers; and pliers that can clamp work in place to serve as a third hand. Open-end wrenches come in integrated ring ratchet wrenches to be used in difficult to access places while traditional ratchets seem too large and somewhat cumbersome in use.Cordless power tools are lightweight, compact and easier to handle thanks to the use of small lithium ion rechargeable batteries, primarily used in mobile phones and digital cameras. Higher power output is significant. For instance, heavy hammer drills and chisel hammers with multistage overload clutches are designed with long-lasting power, friendly to user operation on hand. Now, laser technology for projecting precise cutting lines onto workpieces that often seen on professional-grade stationary panel saws and miter-cutting saws has turn to an indispensable feature of hand-operated saws for DIY lovers.
Market Snapshots
In TAIWAN, 90% of DIY hand tools are exported to overseas markets. According to the official statistics, the shipment of the general hand tools reaches to US$ 1.62 billion. The U.S. is the largest buyer, accounting for 36% of the total output. Taiwan¡¦s industrial players make effort on the R&D of new items and methods for RoHS Enforcement Guidance Document, hoping to conform to the ecological standards and regulations in Europe and other regions.
In CHINA, with the improving living standards, consumers have more pastimes to do house decoration and remolding. Currently, the Industry has fundamentally full-built as a complete production system from upstream to downstream. 78 % of the tool factories locate in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Tianjin. China’s cost advantage makes itself the world factory in tool sector, attracting myriad of world tool companies to set up manufacturing bases, especially from Taiwan. By statistics, Taiwan has more than 5,000 tool manufacturers and now one tenth of them have set up the factories in China.
In the U.S., the power tool market is expected to hit $10.5 billion in 2006, rising 23% since 2001 as the number of DIYers continues to grow. Although we saw a slowdown in housing sales, the rising demand for renovations contract the negative factor and DIY products celebrate the added sales correspondingly. Most of American regard garden as an oasis of peace and quiet and relaxation or a very personal place of withdrawal or refuge, more topical than ever before. The garden tools attract the eyes of house-owners who love getting close to soil and flowers. In America, the key consumers are mostly aged 45 to 65. The beginners contribute to the biggest market gains over the coming years.
Unlike US with rising female DIYers, DIY in the UK are basically a masculine activity. The participants include many more couples, single home occupiers and multi-generational households, either younger and older consumers. The DIY provides an economical way to do necessary repairs or of improving the value of the home. UK DIY & home improvement market is highly influenced by the overall health of domestic economy while the market is classified as discretionary spending with a small percentage of essential repair sales.
In FRANCE, in spite of the lack of physical strength and size and finding the work too tiring, 8 out of 10 women undertake DIY projects in the home. Women of less than 40 years’ of age are the most likely to undertake DIY, and not out of necessity, but for pleasure. For 82% of women, DIY is synonymous with the pleasure of dialogue within a relationship and not simply motivated by finances or a lack of workmen.
Global Views on Hardware Headlines
Posted by wenbi in : Hardware , add a commentttnet.net - [2006/08/07]
Fastener Industry Up 5% Per Year Through 2007
Industrial fastener demand, usually dancing with the pace of industrialization and business circle of the world, is predicted to climb no less than 5% every year through 2007 to over $11 billion. Generally speaking, the demand will be spurred by robust growth in durable goods production and building spending. Accelerating global economic growth will also contribute to help speed in aftermarket fastener demand, even though improvements in fastener quality will somewhat curb maintenance/ repair/operations sales growth. Building sector, electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing will enjoy the fastest growth in end-use markets for fasteners.
Standardized industrial fasteners will continue to govern overall product demand. However the sales of application-specific fasteners jump at a prompter pace than other standardized product types while more OEMs take the place of non-specialized items with application-specific designs. In the other hand, demand for aerospace-grade fasteners is predicted to soar at better-than-expected rate through 2007, fueled by new momentum in aircraft production as global economic climate bodes well military expenditures keep climbing. Recently, innovations and improvement on fastener design focus on new generations of self-locking and self-sealing fasteners, which can be installed without the use of tools and fasteners fabricated from advanced alloys, composites and plastic materials. As more reinforced plastics are successfully developed and launched, plastic fasteners will be widely applied in a growing number of settings.
Global Valve Demands to Rise 5.5% Through 2007
Global demand for industrial valves is predicted to climb 5.5% per year through 2007 to over US$60 billion. The growth momentum is specially attributed to the blooming macroeconomic growth in the developing regions of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The markets in the US, Japan and Western Europe, although not very prominent in performing, will also show slight improvement. Rising fixed investment levels will boost most valve consuming sectors and strengthen underdeveloped infrastructures in these regions.
Die-casting Hardware Boosted from Auto Sector
Die-casting is a process to form metal shapes from molten material, in most cases, typically nonferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and zinc. Die-casting processes include sand casting, precision investment (lost wax) casting, and permanent mold casting. Generally speaking, the major market for die-casting is the automotive industry. Especially smaller electric motors calling for the application of die cast aluminum housings and end covers, further promote the usage of die-castings. Additionally, for further development of the die casting industry, production scale is of prime importance for industry players. However, the prerequisite for a large production size is large investment. The automotive industry is surely a strong support. In recent years, attention has been paid to the development of large capacity die casting machines, bringing up hot chamber machines accordingly.
Variety Uses of P/M, Powder Metallurgy
The basic P/M process uses pressure and heat to form precision metal parts and shapes. Powder is squeezed at room temperature by itself in a rigid precision die into an engineered shape like a gear. After the mass of powder is squeezed into a shape and ejected from the press, it is fed slowly through a special high-temperature controlled atmosphere furnace to bond the particles together. In contrast to other metal forming techniques, P/M parts are shaped directly from powders while castings are formed from metal that must be melted, and wrought parts are shaped by deformation of hot or cold metal, or by machining. P/M parts are used in a variety of end products such as lock hardware, garden tractors, snowmobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, auto brake and steering systems, etc. New Developments include improved manufacturing processes and commercialization such as metal injection molding: (MIM), rapid solidification, P/M forging, spray forming, high temperature vacuum sintering, warm compacting and both cold and hot isostatic pressing. The use of P/M hot forged connecting rods in automobiles and a P/M camshaft for automobile engines. The use of P/M composite camshafts in auto engines and main bearing caps, and stainless steel ABS sensor rings and exhaust system flanges. New submicron and nanophase powders for cutting tools and other specialized applications.
Bearings, Small Parts Big Use
Bearings belong to a major component in a machine to reduce friction and, simultaneously maintain the expected precision and stability while machine working. By statistics, the size of global bearing market approximates US$30 billion every year. Coming in over ten thousand kinds, bearings can be found everywhere in a gear from small drivers, motor cars, conveyors, electrical machinery to big ships. Fundamentally, bearings are composed of two parts: sliding bearings and rolling bearings. The most frequently-used bearings are linear bearings, connecting bearings, ball bearings, roller bearings, trust bearings and needle bearings. The precision quality of bearings depends on hardness, wear rate, mechanic strength and stability along with concentricity, sphericalness and roughness. In these years, the users of conventional ball bearings and roller bearings have been gradually upgraded to ball guide bars, linear bearings, connecting bearings and oil-less bushings. Some higher-level bearings should resort to the help of technicians. King-size bearings for steel-making or petrochemical industry are heavily installed and traced by technical suppliers. The popularity of NC/ CNC machine tools and automated warehouse systems provides a stable-growing background for bearings industry. The up-and-coming trends follow the advantages of high precision, high speed, compact size, lightweight, maintenance-free and durability.
“Tool” Build Paradise at Home
Posted by wenbi in : Tools , add a commentttnet.net - [2006/01/24]
An increasing trend toward “homing” indicates a transition of leisure activities into home, where householders have fun by doing fitting, remodeling, home improving and making more attractive themselves. This is specially motivated mostly by low interest rate, the uncertainties in tourism owing to more-frequently terrorist activities, continuation of virtualization and mechanization of work sectors and the renaissance of esoteric and shared values leading to a further revaluation of the focal points in life. Householders instinctively trust bricks and mortar as a sound investment, and understand how best to maximize that asset by building their houses themselves as the social and communicative central point, targeting at creating a warmer atmosphere for the comfort of living.
More DIY More Fun
The popular DIY power tools include drills, cordless drills, sanders, electric screwdrivers, chainsaws, and steam wallpaper removers. This market relies heavily on product innovation and new products to constantly broaden its sales base. Traditionally the market depends largely on Christmas gift buying. As an increasing number of renovations took place, the demand for DIY products added correspondingly. In addition, the increasing participation of female DIYers is another stimulus. In Europe and America, women of less than 40 years’ of age are the most likely to undertake DIY, and not out of necessity, but for pleasure. For 82% of women, DIY is synonymous with the pleasure of dialogue within a relationship and not simply spurred by finances or a lack of workmen.
What’s Up with New Designs
Tools are tailored precisely to the needs of DIYers and professionals. The improved comfort of operation and quality is incorporated into the decisive innovation factors in the tools sector, which turns to the focus of current development trends. More innovation is required to optimize homing, making good use of electronic intelligence, and striving towards aesthetic appeal design, a high level of quality, a hybrid of safety and functionality and ease of operation. Ergonomic designs make it easier and more efficient to work with a new generation of handsaws. Specialist drywall screw guns jointed with detachable attachments accelerate the assembly process.
The use of laser technology is becoming popular in professional sector. The innovative laser markers for panel saws ensure the optimal level of cutting precision, without lengthy trial and error. Here, self-leveling cross-line lasers enabling horizontal and vertical lines as well as exact right angles with clearly visible light markings onto any type of surface, provides user-friendly benefit as users aren’t necessary to make any marks previously.
Extensible light metal spirit levels make sure trustworthy and accurate measurements as adjusting the height and length of wood and steel constructions. Innovative circular saw benches are embedded with sophisticated column guides to make sure specialized cutting precision, even practicable to hardwood. Easy-to-assemble fence systems, the rods and transverse sections of which can be safely combined by means of a simple screw system, are specifically targeted at DIY enthusiasts. Multi-functional folding beams make it more convenient to use rims, tabletops and worktops at various angles. For safer disposal of harmful dusts, painters and woodworkers can now joint their compressed air tools directly to proper wet/dry vacuum cleaners. Firm and durable tape measures designed to withstand extreme construction site and weather conditions can be extended to up to three meters horizontally without bending.
Gardening Brings Paradise Home
Consumer attitudes towards gardening have changed significantly in recent years as the garden is increasingly becoming an extension of the living room. Living rooms and space are not only independently defined in terms of their four walls. Younger homeowners see the garden as an area of relaxation, and, spurred by gardening programs, are looking for products that enable them to acquire an “instant effect” for minimal effort. In this case, power tools, bedding plants, multipurpose lawncare products, and decking, have added in popularity. Generally speaking, gardens represent the unique taste of houseowners. Here, decorative elements contribute to transform a home environment into what it should be: a “paradise of well-being!¡Lexquisitely devised by human hands. The second, the concept of “all-in-one” continues to dominate the market. In response to the “summer of the century”, gardeners are aware of the importance of garden watering, in help of the use of corresponding rain water-collecting systems at the right time not only to make sure an optimal water supply for plants, but also function a smart money-saver solution. By this, more user-friendly systems with a high utility value are launched to meet the demand.
The gardening designs focus on being purist-straight-lined, a delicate, dainty Bistro look, rustic colonial style or classic elegant. Consumers customer makes the decision to purchase based on the criteria of: seeing, sitting, feeling. And yet: an eccentric, exceptional design is an eye-catching feature, and already next year it might purely and simply be the best-seller. In this connection, trend-setting models enjoy equal status alongside traditional forms and styles and classic elegant design.
Garden sheds aren’t just for tools anymore. Now some custom-designed sheds are practically cozy enough to live in as more homeowners are looking for ways not only to beautify their landscaping, but increase property value, they are building garden sheds and other outbuildings to reflect their home designs.
