Application Spotlight: Dishwasher basket adjusts smoothly

Product description: A patented adjustment mechanism for the upper basket in automatic dishwashers allows consumers to move the basket up or down, even when full.

Molded parts: Three acetal parts: A base plate securely attached to the dishwasher’s upper basket using snap-fits, a fixing plate between these two plates, and a star-shaped, rotating cog. A fourth part, a rail plate with integral wheels, is produced in mineral-filled nylon.

OEM/Designer: Vestel A. S. (Manisa, Turkey and San Diego, CA)

Materials: Acetal (Delrin) and mineral-filled nylon (Minlon), both from DuPont (Wilmington, DE)

Design details: The base plate is molded from a grade of acetal with low wear and friction properties, and it interlocks with the stiff, strong nylon rail plate that includes integral wheels molded from acetal. The wheels fit within the dishwasher rails and enable the basket to glide in and out for easy loading. Between the two plates, which slide above each other in a vertical motion, the fixing plate contains an acetal cog that locks the basket in place at the desired height.

Material benefits: The adjustment mechanism owes its continued smooth operation to the two materials’ functional properties, which are maintained despite multiple wash cycles of up to three hours. Vestel has proved this during testing that included push-pull tests with full loads. “We had previously trialled some other polymers, but had encountered problems of warpage, which hindered the mechanism’s operation,” said Orhan Hülagü, research and development engineer at Vestel’s dishwasher factory. “The materials we selected in the end provided the right combination of strength and dimensional stability, as well as additional benefits such as appealing surface finish and overall colorability. With a large degree of interaction between the two materials, their low noise and low friction performance adds to the overall convenience of the system.”

More info: plastics.dupont.com | www.vestel.com.tr/EN