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The cell drum in the washing machine

Washing machine cell drumThe washing machine not only cleans the laundry from dirt, it also leads to its premature wear, and even damage. The extent to which the fabric is destroyed depends on what it comes into contact with during washing. If a honeycomb drum is installed in the machine, this is one thing, if a regular hole-type drum is completely different. They have different surfaces, the friction of the tissue also varies.

A regular drum is dotted with holes

First you need to understand what a regular holey, or perforated, drum is. This is a metal or plastic cylinder of a certain diameter, dotted with holes. In washing machines with horizontal loading of laundry, such a drum has a rear wall, with a vertical loading - the bottom. Usually the back wall or the bottom of the drum dispenses with holes, but it happens and vice versa.

The holes in the drum are needed for the circulation of water coming from the tank, and you can not do without them. Engineers calculate the optimal number and size of holes based on many parameters, including:

  • drum rotation speed
  • the mass of linen
  • water pressure,
  • and etc.

The fact is that holes are necessary, but they are dangerous for the fabric.

To understand the danger of a large number of holes on the side walls of the drum of the washing machine, you need to understand what the fabric is and how it behaves during the washing process.

The fabric rubs against the walls of the drum during washing

The walls of the drum of the washing machineA fabric is a weave of threads, and a thread is a weave of fibers. The stronger the fibers, and the denser the weave of the threads, the stronger the fabric, and the more difficult it is to destroy. You don’t have to go far for an example. Polymer yarn fabric is much more resistant to abrasion than natural fiber fabric.

The laundry is loaded, the washing machine is gaining momentum. The fabric begins to rub against the walls of the drum, washed with water and diluted detergent. This is exactly what the washing process is all about. Thin fibers of the fabric, like a real grater, rub against metal with holes. The edges of such holes are not sharp, but there are enough of them so that the friction is sensitive enough. The fabric begins to wear slowly. A few washes, and they no longer have their former strength. This is especially true for woolen, cotton and other delicate fabrics.

If a thread breaks out somewhere in the linen, then the situation is even worse. The unsuccessful catch on the hole, and the thread is pulled out, destroying the fabric.

Miele engineers solve the problem

Drum with honeycombsDesigners of many companies have worked and are working on the problem of fabric wear when it is washed in a washing machine. To find the optimal ratio of parameters, which will allow, on the one hand, to qualitatively clean linen from dirt, on the other hand, minimally spoil the fabric, is not at all simple. As already mentioned, washing is primarily friction, and it cannot be avoided.

Miele engineers, as often happens, began to look for a solution in the environment. A honeycomb attracted their attention. The construction of regular hexagons, even molded from soft wax, turned out to be quite stable. Empirical evidence has been confirmed in laboratory tests.

The honeycomb drum invented in the bowels of Miele is a cylindrical metal structure on which convex hexagons are stamped. The holes for water circulation in it are much smaller, and their area is significantly lower than in the usual drum. The liquid lingers in the tank for longer, and this determines the efficiency of its use and the efficiency of cleaning the fabric. In addition, the possibility of penetration of small solid objects, which are sometimes forgotten to be removed from pockets, outside the drum, practically disappears. And this protects other parts of the washing machine from damage.

For more intensive movement of water in the drum, water intake elements are provided. The smoothness of the surface, as one of the decisive factors in the preservation of tissue, is under special attention. The slightest doubt - and the drum goes for revision, or marriage. The cause of doubt may be a pull on the fabric of kapron, which was held on the honeycombs.

Honeycombs contribute to the formation of a thin water film, which significantly softens the friction of the fabric and improves its cleaning. In addition, thanks to the honeycombs, the area of ​​contact of the surface of the drum with the tissue is reduced, which also positively affects the reduction of friction.

Conclusion

The new drum in the Miele version has significant advantages over traditional designs. This becomes obvious even with the most severe version of the spin cycle, when the fabric is not sucked into the holes, and there is no need to exert extra efforts to remove it from there.

Therefore, clothes, and not only that it is usually customary to wash by hand so as not to damage the delicate fabric, will not suffer in any way in the washing machine with an innovative drum.

   

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