How is a washing machine drum constructed?

The laundry is loaded into the washing machine through the drum. At first glance, its design is simple: a cylindrical metal tank with perforated walls and rib-punching blades. But the masters understand it not only as a cylinder, but also as the entire drum unit - a tank, a cuff, a drive, a crosspiece and other adjacent elements. For a full repair and safe operation of the machine, you need to know the structure of the washing machine drum. We suggest considering all the components, their location and purpose.

The main unit of the machine

The drum is the key element of the washing machine, and almost all parts of the machine interact with it. The stainless steel cylinder is the part of the unit visible to the user, through which the laundry is loaded into the machine. In front-loading washing machines, the "entrance" is located in the front, and in "vertical" machines - on top. Dirt is washed off due to the special design of the tank: water gets inside through the perforation on the walls, and the rubber cuff with the hatch door ensures the necessary tightness.

The remaining elements of the unit are "hidden" from the user's eyes. The first of them is the tank in which the drum is located. This is a large, lightweight and durable container, to which the powder receiver hose is attached from above, and the drain pipe is connected from below. The cylinder is connected to the tank from the back side using an iron crosspiece, a bushing and bearings.

The rotation of the system is provided by a shaft that receives impulses from the engine. The latter is located under the washing tank and can be collector or inverter. The engine gains the specified revolutions, which are transmitted to the cylinder via a direct drive or a pulley with a belt. The acceleration speed is controlled by a Hall sensor.

The vibration coming from the motor is damped by the provided shock absorption. The tank with the drum is held in a suspended position, which is ensured by springs and vibration dampers. The containers are fixed securely, but not rigidly: the mobility and elasticity of the unit are preserved. The centrifugal force is also compensated by counterweights - concrete blocks that make the machine heavier by tens of kilograms.

Next to the drum cylinder, in the back of the tank, there is a hole for a tubular electric heater - TEN, which is responsible for heating the water to the desired temperature. Heat comes from a spiral located directly in the washing tank, and the contacts are brought out and protected by a sealed gasket. The degree of heating is monitored by a temperature sensor, transmitting data to the control module.

In some machines, the location of the main components may change - it all depends on the manufacturer and model. To find out more precisely how a specific washing machine is arranged, just look at the manufacturer's instructions.

What types of drums are there?

Any washing drum is made of stainless steel. The material was not chosen by chance: stainless steel is strong, durable and resistant to corrosion. This ensures a long service life of the equipment.

The inside of the drum surface has many "holes" - perforations. Through them, water and powder get to the things, and after washing, they drain into the sewer. But the holes also have a minus: when the cylinder rotates, the fabric is pressed hard against them, which leads to abrasion and damage to the fibers.

Now manufacturers are trying to avoid harmful contact of things with perforations on the walls of the drum. Developers are improving the principle of rotation of the cylinder and improving its design. The result of the search was the production of various types of washing containers.

• Perforated drums. They are equipped with budget models of machines, as such cylinders have smooth walls with many regular holes. The surface inside is not convex, which negatively affects the washed items.
• Drip cylinders. The technology is called VarioSoft, and was invented and tested by the Bosch brand. The name speaks for itself: the inner surface of the drum is "strewn" with holes in the form of drops. The "trick" of the design is in the protrusions themselves: one side of these holes is flat, and the other is protruding. As a result, the laundry ends up either on the smooth part or on the sharp part, depending on the selected mode. Delicate fabrics are washed in a gentle way, and with an intensive program, the friction is hard.
• "Pearl" drums. Pearl Drum technology from designers of the Hansa company. Such cylinders are perforated with different-sized holes in the form of hemispheres, similar to pearls. Due to the rounded shape, the laundry is not allowed to reach sharp protrusions, which protects the fabric from wear even when the drum is accelerated to 1400 rpm.
• Honeycomb containers. The patent for innovative honeycomb perforation belongs to Miele – you won’t find it on other machines. Such drums are covered with convex stamped hexagons inside. Such holes are several times smaller in diameter than standard, drop or pearl ones, so the fabric does not get sucked into them. As a result, gentle washing is ensured. Also, small holes keep the powder near things longer and do not allow foreign objects to fall into the tank.

The type of drum is of fundamental importance: the wider the holes and the smoother the surface of the cylinder, the faster the detergent is washed out and the more the laundry wears out. If delicate items are often washed, it is recommended to give preference to honeycomb, drip and pearl containers. Then the clothes will be protected from damage, color loss, pellets and snags.

Related parts

Owners of washing machines do not need to know what a drum looks like in section. It is enough to understand the relationship of the cylinder with other elements of the system - from the powder receptacle to the engine. This principle is the same for all machines: both with horizontal and vertical loading. The main thing is to consider all the "participants" of the washing process.

• Dispenser. It is designed to add detergent, so it is commonly called a powder receptacle. As a rule, it is located in the upper left part of the machine and has three compartments: for additional liquids, main and preliminary washing. You can guess the purpose of the cuvette by the special marking. Water gets to the powder through hoses, and then the soap solution is directed through pipes into the drum.
• Cuff. This is the name of the rubber band that encircles the drum in front behind the hatch door. More precisely, there are two of them: one seal is attached to the body, and the second - to the washing tank. Due to the double rubber layer, the tank is sealed, and water does not leak out.
• Hoses and pipes. Water coming from the pipes passes through the dispenser via rubber "grooves" and is poured into the drum, to the dirty things. After washing, the used liquid is discharged into the sewer through drainage pipes, pumped out by a pump.
• Pump. The pump pumps dirty water from the tank with the drum into the sewer. The drainage is arranged simply: the mechanism is started by the motor, and the direction of the flow is set by the rotating impeller. Everything is attached to the snail, where the drain hose is connected to the pump. The latter often gets clogged with garbage, hair and other objects that get into the machine: children's socks, hairpins and keys.
• UBL. This is a hatch blocking device, or in simple terms, an electronic lock. It is activated automatically after the cycle starts, blocking the hatch door. The system "block" does not allow the user to open the drum during washing, which eliminates the accidental opening of the machine full of water.
• Inlet valve. Its task is to fill the drum with water from the water supply. The mechanism consists of three coils and a membrane that opens or closes under the action of electrical impulses. The latter are supplied to the valve by the module based on data from the pressure switch.
• Pressure switch. It is a plastic "box" with a long tube lowered into the washing tank. The sensor measures the pressure in the tank, displaying the level of the collected water. This allows the control board to control the filling and draining process.
• Network filter. The capacitor is responsible for the safety of the system, protecting the wiring and mechanisms from voltage surges. The FPS is able to equalize the current entering the machine, preventing the internal wiring from overheating and short-circuiting.
• Control board. This is the "brains" of the machine, which, using electronics, simistors, tracks and resistors, control the system. The module issues commands, monitors their execution, and in the event of a breakdown or failure, urgently stops the cycle.

The drum in the washing machine is the key element of the system, since it is where the laundry is washed. All other elements of the design interact with it in one way or another: they fill, spin and stop, ensuring high-quality washing.