Top left: Unbalanced load in spin basket. Top right: Heavy weights used to dampen vibration.
Left bottom: Washing machine tub is suspended by one of the springs.
Right bottom: Dampers used to absorb vibration.
The main cause of vibration in washing machines is unbalanced load due unevenly distributed clothes. During the spin cycle, the load is “pinned” on one side of the spin basket due to centrifugal force. This can make the machine “walk”, causing damage to the floor and machine itself. Vibration has negative impacts on washing machines such as damage on the components, reduced energy efficiency, premature failure, etc.
Washing machine baskets are constructed so that they are suspended by springs and dampers to absorb vibration due to unbalanced load. Washing machine manufacturers have made design changes to their washing machines to reduce vibration. Heavy weights are usually placed on the tub to dampen the vibration. Electronic controllers/sensors were also introduced to control/sense the violent vibration. If the vibration exceeds a certain limit, the machine will agitate to distribute the load evenly. These methods increase the shipping and manufacturing costs.
Perpetual industries’ patented XYO balancer solves vibration at the source. By implementing XYO balancer, the manufacturers can eliminate heavy weights, complicated spring mechanisms, electronic controllers/sensors, etc, thus reducing the manufacturing and shipping costs. The benefits of implementing XYO include higher spin speed, lower noise reduction, less mechanical wear, reduced energy efficiency.