Case Study: Whirlpool achieves quieter washing machines with National Instruments CompactRIO and LabVIEW

How to Develop the Washing Machine of the Future

Whirlpool faced the challenge of creating a quieter washing machine, with a key obstacle being the management of unbalance at high spin speeds. Their existing algorithms were ineffective at higher speeds, potentially causing noise and requiring an oversized, costlier structure. They partnered with National Instruments to find a solution.

National Instruments provided a solution using a CompactRIO system with an FPGA core running LabVIEW software. This stand-alone smart system acquired data from accelerometers, communicated with the washing machine's control board, and ran advanced algorithms for high-speed unbalance detection. The result was a system that helped Whirlpool quickly deliver the innovation to production, leading to increased quality targets and reduced cost.

Whirlpool

Marco Cugnetto

Whirlpool