Vacuum Cleaners Electrical Product Pathfinder Group - Version
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Electrical Product Pathfinder Group Vacuum Cleaners Identifying failure drivers and opportunities for life extension. Version 1 October 2013
Introduction Submit
About this project… feedback
This work aims to provide simple and accessible guidance on How to use this deck
how to reduce return rates and improve brand value by building
1. Please view in ‘Slide Show’ to activate hyperlinks.
more durable products. Between September 2013 and March
2. To access the slide’s content either browse one
2014 WRAP is working with a consortium of specialists to
page at a time or use the navigation bar below to
develop these outputs through targeted research and
jump between the main sections. Throughout the
engagement with industry and other bodies. This document is
deck there are links to external sources of interest.
the first step in this process and presents the consolidation of
3. We would like to encourage feedback on the
evidence around perceived failure rates and opportunities that
contents of this deck and your thoughts on the
will be further expanded upon from November 2013.
identified failure points, drivers and resolutions.
Please click the ‘Submit feedback’ links on each page
About the Electrical Product Pathfinder Group to contribute.
WRAP is helping the electrical and electronic product sector to
cut costs, reduce resource use, and build reputation for
corporate responsibility. The EPPG aims to:
• identify the most significant changes in the supply and sale
of electrical and electronic products in the UK that would use
less material resources, reduce cost and reduce business
risk, while improving profit;
• implement changes on key products, measure the benefits
and distil good practice; and
• share insight on consumers understanding and attitudes to
product lifetime.
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice Opportunities
Short-Term Key Failure Points Submit
feedback
Notes
Purchase Failure Expected Life • Failure points based on
very limited published
Failure Point Driver data, mainly from Which
surveys and from
Why product is being returned Why failure has occurred
anecdotal evidence.
• Early failures are mainly
Poor design, e.g. inadequate motor/fan,
Poor cleaning performance ! nozzle, airway, fan, filters, etc.
due to poor designs that
result in customer
returns. Poor
instructions will
Poor design, airway shape, lack of
Noisy ! sound insulation, motor oversized etc.
contribute to some
faults but users often do
not read detailed
instructions.
Poor design (e.g. narrow airway, sharp
Airway blockages ! bends), badly written instructions, • Commonest faults with
cleaner unsuitable for intended use uprights are different to
cylinder cleaners.
Poor design, e.g. difficult to remove hair
Beater brush clogged/tangled ! and fibres wrapped around bar, badly
written instructions
Poor design, badly written instructions,
Motor overheating ! inadequate cooling, blocked airway, full
bag/container preventing cooling
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice Opportunities
Long-Term Key Failure Points Submit
feedback
Notes
Purchase End of Life • No failure statistics are
published, so this data
Failure Point Driver is based mainly on
Which surveys and from
Why product is being replaced Why failure has occurred
anecdotal evidence.
Brushes too short for expected lifetime. • Longer life motors easily
Motor failure (worn brushes) ! Average life is 500 hours but many achieved using longer
users need >1,000 hours brushes or brushless
motors.
Case plastic not strong enough or too
• Case strength easily
susceptible to fatigue or creep failures,
Broken casing and hoses ! hose material unsuitable and poorly
tested by standard
impact test, but also
designed. Hoses may not last 10 years so
need to take account of
need to be easy to replace
cyclic and continuous
Electrical faults (PCB, mains switch) ! Poor quality parts, design and assembly stresses
used
• EN 60335-1 Annex H
requires mains switches
Upright lock (uprights), rewind Poor design, unsuitable materials and to be tested and
mechanism (on cylinders only) ! components operate correctly for
10,000 cycles.
Unlikely to last 10 years so need to be
Belts ! easy to replace
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesBest Practice Submit
feedback
Component Specification
• Strong engineering plastics such as ABS, PC-ABS and HIPS to Testing Standards
avoid damage. Avoid sharp corners / radii in mouldings as
these are stress concentrators • EN 60312-1:2013 Vacuum cleaner performance
• Steel or aluminium for the wand and key parts such as roller / • EN 60704 Vacuum cleaner noise measurement
brush spindles, upright lock mechanism etc. • EN 60335-1 and EN 60335-2-69 (low voltage
• Motor and bearings that will operate for a minimum of 1,000 directive safety standards)
hours with no maintenance
• Electrical components, connectors and mountings that will be
robust in dust, heat and vibration
• Also see WRAP Buying Specifications for Durability/ Repair
Design User Instruction
• Vacuum cleaners need to be designed to give good cleaning • Need to be clear and short
performance, have good impact strength, sufficiently long • Emphasise that bag or cyclone must be emptied when full
motor life, avoid blockages, not be too noisy, etc. Standard • Explain warning light / motor thermal override
tests are available for most of these as noted. Good designs • Explain how users can replace bags, hoses, filters and belts
will include a thermal override for the motor, large capacity • Explain how users can remove hair and threads from the beater
bags (or cyclone) to avoid need for frequent emptying, wide brush / bar
airways to prevent blockages, brush design to avoid
clogging/tangling and give good cleaning performance. Belts,
hoses and filters must be easy to replace and beater brush
easy to untangle.
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesOpportunities (i) Submit
feedback
Failure Mode Cause Early/Late Opportunity Implementation Cost
Mechanism Implications
Motor overheats Blockages, poor Both Fit auto reset thermal Provide Auto reset
design switch. Cuts off power manufacturer with switches cost ca.
when motor is too hot, design specification £1 (probably less
reactivates when cool. that includes need in China). Sensor
Ideally also fit sensor with for thermal switch circuit with LED
indication lamp to show which must comply may cost ca. £3 - 8
bag full with EN 60335-1
Annex D
Motor brushes Brush design life Late Use longer brushes or Specify motor life as Longer brushes
wear out too short brushless motor > 1,000 hours (typical cost China
Brushless motor is wholesale £0.01
another option but each)
more expensive
Defective mains Overheated Late Ensure switches are able Use test method Better quality
switch contacts causing to survive 10,000 from EN60335-1 switch may cost up
arcing operations to £1 more,
probably less in
China
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesOpportunities (ii) Submit
feedback
Failure Mode Cause Early/Late Opportunity Implementation Cost
Mechanism Implications
Poor cleaning Poor design Early Specify minimum Specify by reference to Costs incurred
performance performance. EN 60312 test method during design
Performance is affected (other non-standard phase, should be
by many design variable methods are used minimal production
which the designer should which may be simpler. cost impact
understand. Impossible to The method used by
specify all design features Which is claimed to be
but easy to specify realistic)
performance based on a
standard test
Damage to plastic Unsuitable Both Correct choice of Various test could be May need to use
body and other material and materials (e.g. ABS, specified, some that more robust
parts designs PC/ABS or HIPS with are needed are non- polymers, but
rubber bumpers on standard such as additional
uprights) and good repeated opening / production on-
engineering design will closing of release costs should not
prevent early failures, but mechanisms be large (possibly
this is more difficult for except re-tooling
later failures. This relies costs)
on a reasonable level of
design expertise and
good manufacturing
practices
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesOpportunities (iii) Submit
feedback
Failure Mode Cause Early/Late Opportunity Implementation Cost
Mechanism Implications
Blockages Due to airway being Mainly early Requires good Specify performance Investment needed
(airways or hose) too narrow, air flow engineering design tests based on EN at design phase
velocity too low or to avoid. Potential 60312-1 (or other test and for testing.
there are sharp conflict with method) Effect on
bends where dirt compact production costs
can accumulate designs/hand-held likely to be
cleaners negligible
Rewind Poor design Both Designs should be Specify that cleaners Investment needed
mechanism resulting in broken tested based on EN meet EN 60335-1 part at design phase
(mainly used in parts 60335-1 but the 22-16 which requires and for testing.
cylinder type) standard test may auto-rewind test of Effect on
not reflect 6,000 rewinds. production costs
predictable misuse likely to be
reasonably low
Electrical faults Failure of circuitry Late This type of failure Institute quality control Better quality parts
(switch or PCB) with low priced checks at factories to may be slightly
cleaners is unlikely ensure suitable good more expensive.
to be repaired so quality parts and
may be discarded manufacturing
practices are used
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesOpportunities (iv) Submit
feedback
Failure Mode Cause Early/Late Opportunity Implementation Cost
Mechanism Implications
Blocked filters Filters need regular Early Ensure filters need Ensure large capacity Minimal
replacement which changing as bags or cyclone are
must be explained in infrequently as installed that are
instructions. This possible efficient at collecting
could be too small particle size
frequent though if dust. Ensure that
main bag or cyclone filters are easy to
are inefficient at fine change and this is
dust removal clear in instructions
Beat bar clogging Poor quality beat Both, but Requires good Specify materials to Investment needed
and brushes brushes and bar mainly early engineering design be used and good at design phase
wearing design that allow to avoid. Carbon design features to and for testing.
tangling of fibres fibre brushes can prevent clogging/ Effect on
e.g. around ends of reduce brush wear tangling. Allow easy production costs
bar. and improve access for user and likely to be small.
performance. provide good
instructions.
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesInternational Standards - performance
Submit
feedback
IEC 60312-1 Vacuum cleaners for household use – Part 1: Dry vacuum cleaners – Methods for measuring the performance
EN 60312-1 Vacuum cleaners for household use – Part 1: Dry vacuum cleaners – Methods for measuring the performance
IEC 60312-2 Vacuum cleaners for household use – Part 2: Wet cleaning appliances – Methods of measuring the performance
IEC PAS 62611 Vacuum cleaners for commercial use – Methods for measuring performance
ASTM F1411 Standard Practice for Presenting Selected Information on Vacuum Cleaners for Consumer Use
GOST 30192 Hoses for household vacuum cleaners. Parameters and dimensions
JSA JIS C 9802 Methods of measurement of performance of vacuum cleaners for household and similar use
ASTM F2609 Standard Test Method for Litter-Cleaning Effectiveness of Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F558 Standard Test Method for Measuring Air Performance Characteristics of Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F2797 Standard Test Method for Evaluating Edge Cleaning Effectiveness of Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F494 Standard Test Methods for Evaluating Primary Disposable Bag Integrity for Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F431 Standard Specification for Air Performance Measurement Plenum Chamber for Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F1236 Standard Test Method for Measuring Maximum Dry Volume of Utility Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F1410 Standard Test Method for Measuring Maximum Functional Wet Volume of Utility Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F608 Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Carpet Embedded Dirt Removal Effectiveness of Household/Commercial Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F1334 Standard Test Method for Determining A-Weighted Sound Power Level of Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F2607 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Hard Surface Floor-Cleaning Ability of Household/Commercial Vacuum Cleaners
BS EN 60704-2-1 Household and Similar Electrical Appliances - Test Code for the Determination of Airborne Acoustical Noise - Part 2-1: Particular Requirements for Vacuum Cleaners
ASTM F450 Standard Test Methods for Vacuum Cleaner Hose-Durability and Reliability (Plastic)
ASTM F430 Standard Specification for Paper Used for Vacuum Cleaner Filter Bags
ASTM F884 Standard Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of a Built-In (Central Vacuum) Vacuum Cleaner
ASTM F2105 Standard Test Method for Measuring Air Performance Characteristics of Vacuum Cleaner Motor/Fan Systems
ASTM F1977 Standard Test Method for Determining Initial, Fractional, Filtration Efficiency of a Vacuum Cleaner System
ASTM F888 Standard Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of an Upright Vacuum Cleaner
ASTM F1038 Standard Test Method for Motor Life Evaluation of a Canister, Hand-held, Stick, and Utility Type Vacuum Cleaner Without a Driven Agitator
Introduction Short-Term Failure Long-Term Failure Best Practice OpportunitiesYou can also read
