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Strategy Briefing

In Pursuit of the “Perfect Wash”: Laundry Automation – Washing Systems

77 pages, Jun 2018

US$1,325

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About This Report

New Report Guarantee

If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE!

The automation of home laundry has sat in R&D technology pipelines for decades, usually as a “blue sky” ideal to strive for. IFA 2017 and CES 2018 both revealed new technologies as well as an interesting new process philosophy that serves to re-frame this topic. Automation across the laundry process is now seen as more feasible and inside a more realistic device footprint. A post-2020 full solution is in the works and its proliferation has become a calculation of when…not if.

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Overview

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Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats. Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions.

Washing is the most limited of the areas for “new stories” to share - it is already close to being automated

There is a reason why washing machines are referred to as “Fully Automated” and “Semi-Automated”… this part of the complete process is the closest already to achieving actual automation. Just as the washing machine is responsible for this labour saving, it has also been responsible for automation technology hitting a roadblock, as efforts to date have tended to fall into the trap of accepting the washing machine as a natural part of the process with other efforts also being locked into the same parameters (wash loads of 5- 12kg, handled as batches of laundry to be treated the same way, and requiring an elaborate sorting system).

Smart home will impact automation - this is found in the Auto-Alchemy proposition

The one major technology trend to highlight staying inside today’s washing machine technology approach and thinking in terms of wash load batches is the proposition that auto-dosing is turning into, inside the smart home. The “Auto-Alchemy” mixing-in-the-moment proposition is very involved. This is available as a review for Passport subscribers (it is complex enough that a face-to-face session is recommended).

Within Customised Production Line Thinking, washing is the weak link of unproven potential

Panasonic claimed around the IFA 2017 demonstration of its prototype that the washing process in this conveyor belt system is achieving comparable “A” grade wash performances to the appliances of today. There are some details about the structure and process that this system will take, but the results are so far untested externally to Panasonic and uncertified, so this remains something of a “black box”. From the appliance side, most efforts are going into developing solutions in this space as robotics specialists focus on clothing articulation and scanning inherent to the other process phases.

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Introduction

Scope

What This Report Series is All About

How this reports fits in to the overall picture for the “Perfect Wash”

The 2017 Laundroid is a pebble; the >2020 upgrade is a mountain

There is also a “new” kid on the block

The purpose of this file within the “Perfect Wash” report series

Topics to expect in this file: “Washing Systems”

If you have already examined other reports in the series…

Other reports in the series: When can we expect automation?

Topics covered in the “ When can we expect automation?” report

Other reports in the series: Sorting Systems

Topics covered in the “ Sorting Systems” report

Other reports in the series: Ironing and Folding Systems

Topics covered in the “Ironing and Folding Systems” report

An Introduction to the Perfect Wash

Drivers and barriers make this all about complexity and psychology

Gender roles and bias are a mire that automation could step into

Laundry is not simple; it has more variables than we tend to think

We struggle to trust ourselves with laundry: What hope for robots?

Fine fabrics are the extreme test of this trust issue

The bottom line for trust

Laundroid creates a paradigm shift

Failure can lie in the question unasked, not just a solution unfound

Outmoded Thinking

Stuck in a batch

The dogma of wash load batch thinking

Customised “new” thinking

If wash loads require sorting, then sorting requires a lot of space

If we skip sorting, compromising the results is unavoidable!

Customisation opens up superior process options

Escaping from old assumptions and limitations is never simple

Robots just don’t need to care…sorting is a batch wash issue only

And this is insidious in futurology…we need to take a step back

New perspectives are brought to the table by new voices

New robotics partners bring new thinking

Is Laundroid’s claim for post-2020 capability a paper tiger?

An initial view at process maps and the laundry process “phases”

There are three variables driving the types of solution to automation

The matrix of these variables provides the structure of this report

Mind the gap: Who are Laundroid’s other partners?

It is the same looking at Bosch’s Foldimate alliance (CES 2018)

Who will bring the world’s first totally automated process to market?

Automation: Washing Systems

Key findings (Washing Systems)

The full laundry (batch) process map for human intervention

Process map: What does solving “Washing” do for automation?

Automation: Washing Systems – Batch Production Thinking

One mission of smart home technology is to aid in automation

Auto-dose already removes some human process interventions

“Auto-Alchemy” is our forecast for the future of smart auto-dosing

The seven trends driving this Auto-Alchemy proposition

Trend 1) Laundry stain intelligence

Sensing and predicting stains, reacting in the wash automatically

Trend 2) Integrated mentor

European brands favour apps: Asian brands favour LCD screens

Trend 3) Downloadable cycles

Hardware upgrades are measured in years, software in minutes

Trend 4) Sense/logic upgrade

Appliance dedicated smart speaker interfaces are on the way

Trend 5) Mixing-in-the-moment (chemicals)

This mixing is already happening in professional laundry services

Trend 6) Mixing-in-the-moment (appliances)

Miele has the most advanced today: But Electrolux is coming…

Trend 7) Retail auto replenishment

Passive (anticipatory) commerce is taking its first baby steps

Evidence of accelerating pace

We are bringing forwards our forecast for when this is in market

What does Auto-Alchemy help to solve?

Example: “Which?” in the UK (June 2018) highlights “quick” issues

There is a separate large deck to provide full Auto-Alchemy details

Automation: Washing Systems – Customised Production Line Thinking

Laundroid’s future wash process has been visualised

Electrolux has an item level ultrasonic pre-treatment Stain Pen

Non-automation innovations that are part of the automation story

Who is working on the detergents for these robot wash devices?

“Impossible” is invalid for automation; “Inevitable" is more accurate

Why buy this report?

Want to find out more about this report?

Request more information

Megatrends

Strategy Briefing

In Pursuit of the “Perfect Wash”: Laundry Automation – Washing Systems

New Report Guarantee

About This Report

New Report Guarantee

Overview

Why buy this report?

Washing is the most limited of the areas for “new stories” to share - it is already close to being automated

Smart home will impact automation - this is found in the Auto-Alchemy proposition

Within Customised Production Line Thinking, washing is the weak link of unproven potential

Want to find out more about this report?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Scope

What This Report Series is All About

How this reports fits in to the overall picture for the “Perfect Wash”

The 2017 Laundroid is a pebble; the >2020 upgrade is a mountain

There is also a “new” kid on the block

The purpose of this file within the “Perfect Wash” report series

Topics to expect in this file: “Washing Systems”

If you have already examined other reports in the series…

Other reports in the series: When can we expect automation?

Topics covered in the “ When can we expect automation?” report

Other reports in the series: Sorting Systems

Topics covered in the “ Sorting Systems” report

Other reports in the series: Ironing and Folding Systems

Topics covered in the “Ironing and Folding Systems” report

An Introduction to the Perfect Wash

Drivers and barriers make this all about complexity and psychology

Gender roles and bias are a mire that automation could step into

Laundry is not simple; it has more variables than we tend to think

We struggle to trust ourselves with laundry: What hope for robots?

Fine fabrics are the extreme test of this trust issue

The bottom line for trust

Laundroid creates a paradigm shift

Failure can lie in the question unasked, not just a solution unfound

Outmoded Thinking

Stuck in a batch

The dogma of wash load batch thinking

Customised “new” thinking

If wash loads require sorting, then sorting requires a lot of space

If we skip sorting, compromising the results is unavoidable!

Customisation opens up superior process options

Escaping from old assumptions and limitations is never simple

Robots just don’t need to care…sorting is a batch wash issue only

And this is insidious in futurology…we need to take a step back

New perspectives are brought to the table by new voices

New robotics partners bring new thinking

Is Laundroid’s claim for post-2020 capability a paper tiger?

An initial view at process maps and the laundry process “phases”

There are three variables driving the types of solution to automation

The matrix of these variables provides the structure of this report

Mind the gap: Who are Laundroid’s other partners?

It is the same looking at Bosch’s Foldimate alliance (CES 2018)

Who will bring the world’s first totally automated process to market?

Automation: Washing Systems

Key findings (Washing Systems)

The full laundry (batch) process map for human intervention

Process map: What does solving “Washing” do for automation?

Automation: Washing Systems – Batch Production Thinking

One mission of smart home technology is to aid in automation

Auto-dose already removes some human process interventions

“Auto-Alchemy” is our forecast for the future of smart auto-dosing

The seven trends driving this Auto-Alchemy proposition

Trend 1) Laundry stain intelligence

Sensing and predicting stains, reacting in the wash automatically

Trend 2) Integrated mentor

European brands favour apps: Asian brands favour LCD screens

Trend 3) Downloadable cycles

Hardware upgrades are measured in years, software in minutes

Trend 4) Sense/logic upgrade

Appliance dedicated smart speaker interfaces are on the way

Trend 5) Mixing-in-the-moment (chemicals)

This mixing is already happening in professional laundry services

Trend 6) Mixing-in-the-moment (appliances)

Miele has the most advanced today: But Electrolux is coming…

Trend 7) Retail auto replenishment

Passive (anticipatory) commerce is taking its first baby steps

Evidence of accelerating pace