issue: December 2004 APPLIANCE Magazine European Report Miele Redesigns Dishwashers	Share  Printable format  Email this Article  Search
By Paul Roggema, European correspondent, APPLIANCE magazine. In white goods, progress is steady, but major changes in design are rare. Not the case for Miele’s new G1000/G2000 dishwasher line. The new products feature an in-door salt container, so salt can be replenished without having to stoop and reach inside the machine.

Other new features: the panel is mid-mount, and the rotary knob is gone. There are innovative new programs: a plastics program with adapted drying time is suitable for plastic toys; an extra-hot Hygiene program removes all bacteria from baby bottles or chopping plates; and Fondue and Pasta programs do away with stubborn soiling with German precision.

Water usage is down to 10 L thanks to a spray arm alternation, and the drying fan now uses an internal air flow. A new sensor measures murkiness of the water and can distinguish between particles and air bubbles.

Miele also built a production facility for the new dishwashers, as the redesigned appliances required changes in Miele’s production operations. Instead of separately pressing and forming the five panels and welding them together, the company is using a new, patented hydroforming method that expands and sculptures a cube into five of the six sides of the inner cabinet. Pressurized water inflates the inner cabinet, and a temporary door cover is used to provide a hermetic seal during expansion to help reduce material stress. Once the cabinet is formed, the temporary door cover is removed and used for the next cabinet.

Despite high labor costs, Miele obviously still believes in production in Germany, as the complete redesign project totaled 60 million euros (approx. U.S. $76.7 million).