Page 36 - MetalForming November 2019

Market Report:
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MetalForming/November 2019
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Appliances
In a steady market, sleek and smart best describe the latest offerings, which challenge designers and manufacturers to deliver.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR and JOE JANCSURAK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Appliances have become showpiece items, especially those that reside in kitchens. Sleek styling, unique skins and trim, and smart features all are charac- teristics of appliances these days. Photo courtesy of GE Appliances
The home-appliance industry can be traced back to Jacob Christian Schäffer, who invented a rudi- mentary mechanical washing machine in 1767. But not until the dawn of the 20th century, and the availability of somewhat dependable electricity, did the creation of appliances for home use really take off. For the longest time, appliances were considered items to be used and not seen, and designed and built as such. But, most notably with kitchen appliances, styling became important.
Today’s appliances can be consid- ered showpieces. Wrapped in attractive coatings and materials, they boast sleek contours, energy efficiency and smart technology, all with an eye toward attracting fickle consumers.
Given these characteristics, design- ers and manufacturers face formidable challenges in delivering innovative appliances. Read on for details on these challenges and how they’re met, fol- lowing a look at market statistics.
Shipments Hold Steady
Shipments of domestic major appli- ances—cooking, laundry, dishwashers/ disposers, refrigerators/freezers and room air conditioners/dehumidifiers— remained steady at around 79 million units for 2017-2018, and the same like- ly will hold true for 2019-2020, accord- ing to the Association of Home Appli- ance Manufacturers (AHAM), a Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing a $50-billion industry and whose membership includes 150 com- panies worldwide.
To understand the importance of appliances to the metal forming and fabricating industries, consider the volume of steel used. For example, nearly 11.5 million refrigerators, each weighing about 300 lb., shipped in 2018, with their steel wrappers and