Dishwasher Factory Tour: How Dishwashers are Made- Did You Know?

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At this Whirlpool KitchenAid factory in Fenley, Ohio, cutting and stamping the single sheet of stainless steel is the first step in a process that results in this - a brand new state-of-the-art dishwasher for your new house. So how does it all come together? In the beginning, computer controlled metal working machines bend and shape the steel to precise specifications.
This U-shaped component is one-half of what will be the dishwasher's tub, the watertight chamber where the dishes are washed. The rest of the tub is formed using a similar method. The components are then joined together and in a completely automated process the tubs are lifted and turned as they move through the different stages of robotic welding. When the assembled tubs come out the other end, each one is taken off the conveyor belt and placed on a light table that will reveal any cracks in critical areas. At random some tubs are pulled out for closer inspection. Besides using the light table, they also put this green oil around all of the joints wherever there's a weld, then they use a black light to look inside to see if the oil seeps through, if there might be any cracks in any of the welds. Once the tubs have been thoroughly checked for imperfections, they're put back on the production line and the legs, braces and rollers for the dish rack are added. A sound-absorbing blanket is built in too. Now it's time to put the motor in. The motors are pretested and a lubricant is added to the base to help the motor fit snugly in the seat. It's locked into place and the line moves on. Dishwashers can be very noisy and you might be surprised at some of the little touches the engineers have added to take care of that. It looks like a big nut to fit on the exterior of a motor, but it's actually a tune absorber. When the motor's turning it has some vibration in it which normally would make noise. But now this helps balance out the motor and it absorbs the sound so you get rid of a lot of that noise that you'd have with a normal dishwasher. Every dishwasher has to have racks, lots of racks. The racks are assembled, prepared and put into the washers, glass holder clips are attached and the line moves on. The dishwasher door is attached, then the control panel goes on top. Now it's time for the final stages. The dishwasher's electrical system is modular and hooking it up only takes a couple of minutes. The electrical system is tested, then the dishwashers are moved on to a wash cycle testing carousel. The washer is filled with water to test the internal sensor mechanism. A computer checks for proper wattage and runs a check to make sure the water is filling the washer at the right number of gallons per minute. There's a final check for any leaks or other imperfections. Then the water is drawn out of the machine and it's time for the final make-ready. The instruction manuals are put in, the water is wiped off, a little dishwashing powder is thrown in with a touch of flare, the door is closed and the box goes on. And another finished, ready-to-be-shipped dishwasher moves down the ramp. In the same factory, using a different process, Whirlpool is making tubs for another line of dishwasher, but these tubs aren't stainless steel. They're made from molded plastic. Six giant presses using high pressure and high heat melt little polypropylene pellets and extrude the molten plastic to form seamless washer tubs. Then robotic arms screw metal collars onto the tubs and then in an automated process the other components are attached and bolted on by machines. At this point a laser test for proper assembly at nine different places in about three seconds. After the laser test, the washer is ready for final assembly. From here on, the process is about the same as the one used for the stainless steel washers. The motor is attached, including the noise reducer. The door and electrical components are added. The racks are put in. The finishing touches are put on. They're boxed up and rolled out for shipment to your new house.

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