LG vows washing machine leadership
LG Electronics employees produce TROMM Twin Wash washing machines at the company’s manufacturing facility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, last week. / Courtesy of LG Electronics
By Yoon Sung-won
CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province ― LG Electronics, the world’s leading washing machine maker, showed confidence in its technology in competition with global market contenders Samsung Electronics and Haier.
At the home appliances manufacturing facility in Changwon, where the electronics maker produces its latest washing machine, TROMM Twin Wash, the company pledged to make it the best-selling premium washing machine globally.
“Our washing machine business division has worked to enhance product competitiveness through technological innovations and such efforts have helped us maintain top brand power during the last eight years,” LG Electronics Home Appliances & Air Solution Company Senior Vice President Simon Jeon said during a press conference at the factory, Friday.
“With TROMM Twin Wash, we will make sure to set the record sales in premium washing machine category and make it an opportunity to boost our business performance.”
Launched in July, the Twin Wash has two separate washing chambers ― a drum washing chamber in the upper part and a smaller barrel-roll washing chamber in the lower part ― allowing users to wash different types of laundry at the same time.
LG Electronics said it has applied latest technologies for the Twin Wash such as the inverter direct driver motor and Smart ThingQ, which give the machine more washing power yet consume less water and electricity.
“Chinese electronics maker Haier showcased a dual drum washing machine at a recent exhibition in Shanghai. But unlike the Twin Wash, it does not support dual dehydration operation in both chambers at the same time,” Jeon said. “We believe other companies cannot easily surpass out technological territory as we own more than 390 globally-registered patent rights in this sector.”
He also stressed that LG Electronics will not roll out products without concrete technological value.
“Samsung Electronics’ Active Wash washing machine was said to have gain popularity for a basket on its top. I believe there is no technological point to it. It is what we already did in the 1980s,” Jeon said. “We would rather take more time to devise products with actual technology that can satisfy the customers.”
LG Electronics said all Twin Wash products, both for domestic and overseas markets, are manufactured at the Changwon facility, which is capable of producing one in every 15 seconds.
The company said the overall drum washing machine production output has increased by 30 percent since the launch of the Twin Wash to meet the model’s expanding demands.
“Following the launch in the Korean market, we are now shipping the Twin Wash to North America to prepare for peak demand around the Black Friday season in November. At the same time, we are also working to meet the launch in the Chinese market,” Jeon said. “We plan to roll out the Twin Wash in Europe and other parts of Asia once we successfully introduce it in the larger markets.”
He also said the company aims at increasing the shipment of Twin Wash to about 10 percent of its total washing machine production, which is a relatively high goal for a premium product.
Established in 1976, the Changwon factory produces the company’s globally-recognized domestic appliances such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, ovens and air conditioners. In 2014, the factory manufactured products worth 16.1 trillion won in sales.
LG Electronics has invested 200 billion won in building a 22-story research and development center at the factory, whose opening is slated for 2017.
At the Changwon factory, washing machines were being produced in an automated and modularized assembly, testing and packaging processes. At the same time, selected washing machine samples are tested for vibration, endurance and operation in extreme temperatures.