Dyson (company)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dyson James Limited | |
 |
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters |  Wiltshire, England |
| Key people | Sir James Dyson, Founder& Managing Director Deirdre Dyson, co-founder & Deputy Managing Director |
| Industry | Major appliance |
| Products | Vacuum cleaners & hand dryers |
| Revenue |  GB£470 million (2005) |
| Net income | GB£83 million (2005) |
| Employees | 1,679 (2005) |
| Website | www.dyson.co.uk |
Dyson is a British manufacturer of vacuum cleaners that use cyclonic separation, and washing machines. The creator, James Dyson, used the centrifugal particle separation, after finding that the dust bag in his vacuum cleaner needed to be replaced even when it was not full.
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[edit] History
James Dyson unveiled his first vacuum cleaner, the G-Force, in 1983[1]. It won the 1991 International Design Fair prize in Japan, after which the Japanese licensed and sold the product.
The biggest vacuum cleaner manufacturers refused to licence his technology so Dyson decided to design, manufacture and advertise a vacuum cleaner himself. Hoover later admitted that it did consider buying the patent from James Dyson, but only to keep the technology out of the market[2].
Using the income from the Japanese licence, James Dyson set up the Dyson company, opening a research centre and factory in Wiltshire, England, in June 1993. His first vacuum cleaner was the DC01. In their research for the vacuum cleaner, Dyson asked people whether they would be happy with a transparent container for the dust, most respondents said no. Dyson and his team decided to make a transparent container anyway, primarily for advertising purposes.[3]
[edit] Vacuum cleaners
- G Force - the first model
- DC01 - upright model
- DC02 - cylinder model
- DC03 - lightweight, low profile upright cleaner
- DC04 - successor to DC01
- DC05 - second cylinder model
- DC06 - robotic vacuum [4]
- DC07 - upright model with new Dyson Root Cyclone technology
- DC08 - new cylinder revision incorporating root cyclone technology
- DC08T - T is short for 'Telescope Wrap'. Wand handle is telescopic and the hose wraps around the machine
- DC11 - first cylinder model to incorporate the telescopic wand handle and hose wrapping. Parallel root cyclone packs
- DC12 - small cylinder machine released in Japan. Top-of-the-range models are fitted with the high-speed Digital Motor, revolving at 100,000rpm.
[edit] G-Force
G-Force was the name given to Dyson's first vacuum cleaner. The Japanese bought the design and sold it. It was the first vacuum cleaner to use "Cyclone" technology. James Dyson later used the money he earned from G-Force to start up his company, Dyson.
[edit] DC01
The first model was DC01, an 'upright' vacuum cleaner made by Dyson priced for home use. It used patented Dual Cyclone technology. It was released in 1993 and was a best seller in the UK.
[edit] DC02
The DC02 was the first cylinder (canister) model and the second domestic, mass produced vacuum cleaner sold by Dyson. It was designed to be smaller and easier to carry than the preceding DC01. Its shape allowed it to sit on stairs and this design was named "stair-hugging" by Dyson.
The cleaner features an extendable hose designed to work around corners and objects. To the rear of the machine, there is a pedal which retracts the cable back into the cleaner. It uses the patented cyclone system.
This model is commonly duplicated by Asian manufacturers, presumably because the more complicated Dyson models (Root cyclone models etc.) have better protected patents.
[edit] DC14
Revision of upright cleaner with lower center of gravity and telescopic wand.
The DC14 vacuum cleaner uses Dyson's Root 8 Cyclone technology, which maintains constant suction. The Root 8 Cyclone Technology on the DC14 was improved since the DC07 The DC14 vacuum cleaners range have the BAF seal of approval.
The vacuum was released in 2004. The DC14 comes in four different variants, the standard DC14, the All Floors, the Allergy and the Animal.
More of the DC14 units are sold than the newer DC15 vacuum cleaner.Official DC14 Page.
[edit] DC15
The DC15 is the newest vacuum cleaner available from Dyson.
The DC15 has a ball instead of a wheel which in conjunction with a universal joint on the cleaner head makes it possible to steer the machine by twisting the handle to the right or left.
The cleaner uses the Root Cyclone technology also used in the DC14. "The Ball" was released in 2005 in three variants, the DC15 All Floors, Allergy and Animal. Official DC15 Page.
[edit] DC17
The Dyson DC17 is a brand new upright launched in October 2006. The DC17 appears to be a slightly modified DC14 upright, but upon closer inspection, it reveals all new technologies, and a design exclusively for North American carpets. The first upgrade is the use of Dyson's new Level 3 Root Cyclone. This system incorporates 11 cyclones to more efficiently filter sand and dust particles out of the airstream. In this system, the airflow travels from the low speed outer cyclone to two intermediate cyclones that filter out the bulk of dust and sand particles that are drawn into the system. Beyond that, the airflow flows through the remaining eight high speed cyclones which filters out any remaining dust particles out of the airstream. The Level 3 Root Cyclone improves upon the original Root Cyclone system with its capability to more efficiently separate sand particles from the air flow; contaminants that the current Root Cyclone has difficulty with.
The second change with the DC17 upright is the brushroll design. While the brushrolls used on the DC07, DC14, and DC15 were designed with European carpets in mind, the DC17's brush roll was designed for North America. With a cylindrical shape, a large diameter, and short stiff bristles, the DC17 can out clean its predecessors. A separate motor is drives the brushroll, unlike the DC07 and DC14 which use clutches that utilize power from the main motor.
The third change is a new color scheme that indicates the color theme for future Dysons. The bright colors and silver tones are toned down in favor of shiny metallic accents and titanium as the main color for the entire machine. This change can also be seen with the new Dyson DC16 Root 6 Handheld. Official DC17 Page.
[edit] DC18
The all-new Dyson DC18 Slim , launched in September 2006, is a slimmer and lighter weight successor of the DC15 Ball upright. A major difference between the DC15 and DC18 is the weight. The DC18 is lighter weight at 6.6 kilograms, or 14 pounds. In comparison, the DC15 weighs in closer to 20 lbs. The DC18's Root Cyclone system has been trimmed down to better accommodate the uprights slimmer profile. While the DC15 uses 8 cyclones, the DC18 uses 6. The bin capacity comparison between the two models is DC18 1.7 liters and DC15 2.5 liters.
In addition, the ball design has been modified for the DC18, and is not as complex as the DC15 ball unit. Rather than ride on a large ball that encloses the primary motor, the DC18 rides on a thin, cigar shaped roller that yields more space for separate motor enclosure and airway paths. Official DC18 Page.
[edit] Dyson Airblade
The newest Dyson is the Dyson Airblade hand dryer. The Airblade is aimed at commercial use.
The Airblade uses Dyson’s new Dyson Digital Motor (DDM) to produce a stream of air that flows at 400mph acting like an invisible windscreen wiper to dry the hands. The Airblade also used Dyson’s HEPA filter to remove bacteria and mould from the air. Waste water is passed through an iodine resin filter to disinfect it.
[edit] Dyson Handheld - DC16
Dyson have released a handheld vacuum cleaner based on the same technology as in their DC14 and DC15 root cyclone upright vacuum cleaners.
The new Dyson DC16 root6 claims to be 'the only handheld that doesn't lose suction'. The DC16 has 36 airwatts of constant suction. The DC16 shares the same styling as the other recent upright and cylinder vacuums cleaners in the Dyson range, and weighs1.5kg).
[edit] Other products
An early product, now discontinued, was the Dyson Ballbarrow. Dyson developed a washing machine which used two drums spinning in opposite directions for a better clean. The washing machine was marketed under the slogan Two drums are better than one. Dyson's next washing machine was the CR02, which was available in two versions, the Flowcheck and Allergy models. The company has since stopped making washing machines because they were unprofitable. [5]
[edit] Controversial movement of production
Initially, all Dyson vacuum cleaners and washing machines were made in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England. In 2002, the company transferred vacuum cleaner production to Malaysia. As Dyson was the only major manufacturer in Wiltshire, this move aroused much condemnation in the British press. Despite promises that washing machine production would continue in the UK, that portion of production was moved to Malaysia a year later. Nearly 800 British manufacturing jobs were lost; however, Dyson's research and development remains in Wiltshire.
Dyson later stated that due to the cost savings from transferring production to Malaysia he was able to invest in R&D at Malmesbury. Dyson says he employs more people in the UK than before the transfer of manufacturing to Malaysia.[6]
