THE industry must steel itself for an imminent rise in the price of air conditioning and refrigeration products and components as a result of escalating material costs, particularly copper. 

SCIENTISTS at Cambridge University would appear to be leading the world in research into the commercial potential of magnetic refrigeration. One group at the college has just announced the development of a protoype magnetic fridge that could be 40% more energy efficient than conventional models. 

THE undoubted popularity of energy-saving EC fan technology has enabled Chelmsford-based manufacturer Ebm-Papst to celebrate the sale of its 25,000th EC fan in the UK. 

LEADING refrigerant producer DuPont has added its voice to concerns over the availability of dangerous counterfeit refrigerants. 

I HAVE in the past been accused of being a little cynical – quite unfairly I feel – but then those claims are only ever levelled at me by tedious optimists. Anyway, I don’t think it’s wrong to not necessarily believe every company which tells me about its exemplary customer service. After all, what are voice mails other than a means by which you never have to speak to a client again? And what are automated switchboards other than a means to save employing a telephonist? None of these electronic wonders actually have anything to do with customer service, despite the fact that many companies who have them like to argue otherwise. 

A round-up of supermarket news and gossip 

FEW observers would disagree with the fact that there is a shortage of talented, young engineers entering the air conditioning and refrigeration industry. Despite a diminishing pool of qualified engineers, some companies are reluctant to run apprenticeship schemes, fearing failure. They instead rely on high wages to attract those available in the employment market. 

An employer has an obligation to provide suitable protective equipment for employees and, following a recent House of Lords ruling, need only consider the risk for which the equipment was provided to protect against and whether the equipment was sufficient for that purpose. Richard Booth, a legal advisor at international law firm Eversheds, discusses the ruling and employers’ obligations 

MITSUBISHI Electric has now achieved independent accreditation for 39 of its courses, seminars and pieces of literature from the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Service. 

This month we continue our study of compressors and the alternatives to the reciprocating compressor.... 

THE UK head of the world's biggest volume producer of air conditioning products - LG - says that some sectors of the industry of are using 'scare tactics' over the forthcoming F-gas regulations. 

AXAIR Climate has increased its product offering by signing a deal to distribute the Ability range of fan coils units. 

DANFOSS has increased its penetration into the heat pump market with the acquisition of Swiss company Steinmann Apparatebau AG. 

AS COMPANIES struggle to cope with low margins and strong competition, FETA is hold a series of free one-day Financial Awareness seminars in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow. 

JAPANESE air conditioining manufacturer Daikin is to buy the Malaysian company OYL, owners of McQuay, J&E Hall and AAF, for a massive £1.1bn. The acquisition will make Daikin the second largest air conditioning manufacturer in the world. 

THE Institute of Refrigeration is one of a number of industry bodies to have received energy efficiency funding from The Carbon Trust. The Cold Storage and Distributions Federation, the Building Controls Industry Association and the IoR all received £20,000 towards promoting energy efficiency and carbon emission reductions. 

NEIL Afram, the outgoing president of FETA, has hit out at the "green" pressure groups in his final address to the industry. 

THE new president of the ductwork contractors group ADCAS has slammed the Government over its failure to ban retentions.