Japanese and American competition in the development of scroll compressors and its impact on the American air conditioning industry

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6952508· OSTI ID:6952508

Ushimaru, Kenji ^[1]

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1. Energy International, Inc., Bellevue, WA (USA)

This report examines the technological development of scroll compressors and its impact on the air conditioning equipment industry. Scroll compressors, although considered to be the compressors of the future for energy-efficient residential heat pumps and possibly for many other applications, are difficult to manufacture on a volume-production base. The manufacturing process requires computer-aided, numerically controlled tools for high-precision fabrication of major parts. Japan implemented a global strategy for dominating the technological world market in the 1970s, and scroll compressor technology benefited from the advent of new-generation machine tools. As a result, if American manufacturers of scroll compressors purchase or are essentially forced to purchase numerically controlled tools from Japan in the future, they will then become dependent on their own competitors because the same Japanese conglomerates that make numerically controlled tools also make scroll compressors. This study illustrates the importance of the basic machine tool industry to the health of the US economy. Without a strong machine tool industry, it is difficult for American manufacturers to put innovations, whether patented or not, into production. As we experience transformation in the air conditioning and refrigeration market, it will be critical to establish a consistent national policy to provide healthy competition among producers, to promote innovation within the industry, to enhance assimilation of new technology, and to eliminate practices that are incompatible with these goals. 72 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Energy International, Inc., Bellevue, WA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6952508
• Report Number(s): PNL-7240; ON: DE90006343; CNN: Agreement B-041536-A-V
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
COMPRESSORS
DESIGN
AIR CONDITIONING
HEAT PUMPS
INDUSTRY
JAPAN
MANUFACTURING
REFRIGERATION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
USA
ASIA
COOLING
NORTH AMERICA
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Consumption
& Utilization- Building Equipment- (1987-)
320303 - Energy Conservation
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& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Equipment & Processes
290500 - Energy Planning & Policy- Research
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