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Product Magazines: Product Trends |
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A small, simple idea can make a big difference in a homemaker's life. Wah Tat Metal Mfy Co has produced a brass water tap with temperature gauge that should appeal to many such consumers.
The product allows the user to determine the exact temperature of the bath or shower water. The tap can also be used in the kitchen to test water temperature for washing or cooking purposes. Ho Wai Man, manager of Wah Tat, says, "This is our latest product, and we believe it is a new and interesting idea."
Wah Tat is a family-run business established in 1970 and better known for the manufacture of bi-metal thermometers for ovens, refrigerators, cooking pans and even for chopsticks, which are designed especially for the Japanese market. The water tap is made of a solid brass tube containing heat-resistant plastic and wear-resistant aluminous porcelain. The brass is from Japan and China and some of the components also come from China. The parts are assembled in Hong Kong.
The tap is available in a choice of chrome or gold-plate finish and is furnished with an easy-to-read temperature gauge available in Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature readings.
The tap is designed to metric measurements and the distance between the two water inlets is compatible with most standard bathing apparatuses. Ho explains that the tap can also be custom designed to suit a customer's specific requirements providing that the design request can accommodate all the essential parts.
The brass tap is currently being marketed in Hong Kong, but the company hopes to expand its customer base to include Europe and the US. There is no minimum order requirement, and it is expected that production will amount to approximately 2,000 sets per month.
Delivery time is 45 days and Ho states that he expects the FOB Hong Kong price to be US$70-80 per unit, dependent on the finish and design specifics required. "This is a high quality product that we hope will appeal to a number of people worldwide," he says. "As the product is so new and we have yet to start production, it can be modified and improved upon to suit any market."
Written by Sally de Souza
The invention of the electric toothbrush helped take the strain out of brushing and the stains out of teeth. A new personal dental care product is extending the limits of toothbrush design even further.
The Hi-Po 828 is the world's first battery-operated toothbrush with 360 degrees rotating brush heads. Unlike conventional electric toothbrushes, the soft nylon brushes of the Hi-Po 828 revolve, gently and efficiently massaging gums and cleaning teeth in the way that dentists prescribe.
The Hi-Po 828 is a compact 22 centimetres in length and is available with two attachments -- a single rotating brush head attachment and a twin rotating brush head attachment. Manufactured in high-quality plastic by Hi Power Ind Ltd in Hong Kong, the Hi-Po 828 runs on two alkaline or nicad 1.5V, AA-size batteries and comes complete with a stand to hold the brush and attachments.
"The unique circular action of the brushes is one of the major selling points," says Chan Chi Hung, Hi Power managing director. "The safety and the convenience of the battery power supply is also proving very attractive to our customers. The Hi-Po 828 is totally waterproof and extremely safe."
Batteries make it a versatile instrument with no restriction of movement and without the problems of having to be adapted to the power supplies of different countries. Patents are pending in the US and in the UK.
The Hi-Po 828 has been in production for six months and sales are increasing, Chan says. "The US and Japan have been our main markets to date, with some European markets such as Denmark and Belgium developing well," he explains. "In the future we will be working hard to break into other European and world markets and to expand existing ones."
The Hi-Po 828 is available in a standard pack -- the main component and two brush head attachments -- for US$2.43 FOB Hong Kong, or as a family pack, containing three brush head attachments, for US$2.98. Sets of two replacement brushes are US$1.12. The minimum order size is 5,000 units and delivery takes 30-45 days.
Written by Simon Saunders
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