(photo courtesy Dyson Deutschland GmbH)
Get Inspired #2 – POWER: James Dyson about Power (Full Story)
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Dear James, what are your first three associations with the word “Power”?
“Willpower: It was a combination of sheer perseverance and the frustration from an old vacuum cleaner that quickly lost suction which drove me to develop 5,127 prototypes before I had a vacuum cleaner that did not need a bag and did not lose suction. There was lots of swearing, bangs and crashes in between but it was definitely worth it.
Power(ful) performance: Dyson vacuum cleaners have patented Root Cyclone ™ technology, which spins dirt from the airflow, so it doesn’t lose suction.
Wind power: I believe that there needs to be even more of an emphasis on developing a sustainable future for everybody starting right now. ‘Green’ energy will only be possible through engineering, and that’s exciting because science, design and engineering are the only subjects that enable you to change the future of the planet in such a meaningful and hands-on way.”
What does “Power” mean in the context of Dyson’s products?
“Space is at a premium in people’s homes but so is vacuum cleaning power. So even though Dyson has been miniaturizing its technology, we are not compromising on the power and performance of our machines. Most recently, this has been made possible with the development of the next generation of DDM (Dyson digital motor) which is three times smaller than the first Dyson digital motor. It’s fast, light and brushless – giving it improved performance and a longer life. The impeller spins over three times faster than a conventional motor, and ten times faster than the engine of a Boeing 747 aircraft.
But we don’t want to improve the power of our technology at the expense of being energy efficient. So at Dyson we have achieved both. Dyson digital motor V2 is 84% energy efficient – and twice as efficient as the motor in the DC16.
This new motor has seen its first application in our small, ultra-powerful new handheld vacuum cleaners, DC30 and DC31: compact and lightweight machines with constant, powerful suction.”
Thank you James. One more question: “How does Power, or performance, influence the selection of materials?”
“Before Dyson machines are ready, they go through destructive, endurance, performance and reliability testing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thousands of prototypes are smashed to pieces; some are thrown downstairs as part of endurance testing. Others are the victims of an engineer’s zeal for perfection. Dyson engineers spend 30,000 hours a month testing machines to make sure they are happy with their performance and reliability.
The materials are carefully chosen to withstand this level of abuse. Polycarbonate is used in the construction of Dyson transparent bins and catches. It is known for its strength and impact resistance. And Polypropylene is used in Dyson tools, wheels, bumpers and cyclone assemblies. It is tough, but has an excellent level of fatigue resistance.
Dyson also aims to reduce the amount of materials used in its vacuum cleaners without compromising on strength. As such we build the walls as thinly as possible initially and build up (rather then the other way round) and test its strength throughout. This process reduces the amount of resources needed to build our vacuum cleaners and less energy is used in the molding process.”
James Dyson is an English Industrial designer, inventor, and for most people “the man who invented the bagless vacuum cleaner”.
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About Get Inspired
Get Inspired is a quarterly materials newsletter published by Material Stories.
link: www.materialstories.com/newsletter
About Dyson
Dyson is a company driven by design, innovation and technology. Dyson invests heavily in research and development where a large percentage of Dyson’s total employees are scientists and engineers developing new technologies that make everyday products work better.
link: www.dyson.com
About the James Dyson Award
The James Dyson Award is an international design award that celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It’s run by the James Dyson Foundation, James Dyson’s charitable trust, as part of its mission to inspire young people about design engineering.
link: www.jamesdysonaward.org
