by Brianna Crandall — June 6, 2014—Developed after three years of intensive research and development (R&D) by a team of 125 Dyson engineers, U.K.-based global technology company Dyson is introducing three new Airblade hand dryers, designed to be an extra-fast, sustainable way to dry hands: the Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer, Dyson Airblade V hand dryer, and a reengineered Dyson Airblade db hand dryer.
According to Dyson, conventional hand dryers use one column of “bacteria-filled” bathroom air to evaporate water from hands, after much hand rubbing. Most people give up before their hands are completely dry. Dyson Airblade hand dryers are engineered to dry hands quickly and effectively using:
- Airblade technology: Sheets of high-velocity unheated air travel through tiny apertures at 420 mph, quickly scraping water from hands like a windshield wiper, leaving them fully dry.
- Dyson digital motor V4: This power-dense brushless direct-current (DC) motor utilizes a bonded magnet encased in a carbon fiber sleeve. It is reportedly one of the world’s smallest and fully integrated 1400W motors. Using digital pulse technology, it accelerates from 0-92,000 rpm in less than 0.7 seconds.
- HEPA filters: The Dyson Airblade hand dryer passes washroom air through a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which removes 99.97% of bacteria at 0.3 microns from the air used to dry hands.
James Dyson explains, “Using complex computer modeling, Dyson engineers have developed a high-performance digital motor. The Dyson digital motor self-adjusts 6,000 times a second to maintain optimum efficiency to create [a] high-velocity sheet of air that dries hands quickly and hygienically.”
The Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer washes and dries hands in one place, with no need to leave the sink. Infrared sensors pinpoint hand positions and release water from the tap stem. Once hands are wet and drying is required, integrated circuitry computes the information and activates the Dyson digital motor V4, creating two high-velocity sheets of air on the tap’s branches. Unheated clean air is released to scrape water off hands, reportedly leaving them dry in 14 seconds.
The Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer is able to dry 15 pairs of hands for the price of a single paper towel, claims the company, and it reportedly costs $48 a year to run. The hand dryer comes in three varieties for different washroom set-ups: wall mounted or counter top, with a long or short stem.
Dyson engineers have concentrated Airblade technology without compromising drying performance, says the company. The Dyson Airblade V hand dryer is 60% smaller than the original, yet dries hands fast. Two sheets of high-velocity air angled at 115 degrees span the width of each hand, and scrape off water. Hands are reportedly dry in 12 seconds.
Dyson engineers have reengineered the original Dyson Airblade hand dryer. They reengineered the apertures of the Dyson Airblade hand dryer to reduce air turbulence, making the new version 50 percent quieter when compared to the Original Dyson Airblade hand dryer—with no compromise on performance, as it reportedly dries hands in just 12 seconds.
HACCP International has certified the dB and Tap hand dryers as the only hand dryers suitable and accredited for use in food facilities that operate in accordance with an HACCP-based Food Safety Programme. All Airblade hand dryers come with a five-year warranty
Dyson will be showcasing its new hand dryers at the NeoCon contract furnishings show in Chicago June 9-11, in Booth #8-3094C.
