Ultra-compact handheld vacuum as a handle.
I led engineering for the Dust Chaser, a compact handheld vacuum that also had to serve as the handle of an upright. We developed a lightweight but rigid reinforced internal structure to make it possible and brought the product from concept to retail in under 10 months.
The hardest part was getting the body architecture right. A typical hand vac can separate around the dirt cup and nozzle for emptying, but that joint becomes a structural problem when the body also needs to support lifting a full-size vacuum. We developed a unibody skeleton in fiber-reinforced PA66 nylon to withstand impact and lifting loads while leaving room for the motor, electronics, and air path.
Making the structure work
There was a lot of iteration in the design process: FEA, prototypes, physical testing, then back again. SLA printing and FEA helped us work through the mechanical and structural questions quickly. The version that shipped used a full-length structural body with structural clamshell housings around it, and a large top fascia preserved the design intent. I enjoy that it ended up as one of those solutions that looks clean on the outside but has a lot going on inside.
Simulating lifting loads on the structural body.
Speeeeed
The Dust Chaser went from concept to retail in under 10 months, which is an aggressive schedule for any volume consumer product. To make it happen, we had to be deliberate early and lock key decisions fast. Simulation and rapid prototyping helped remove as much tooling risk as possible.
The program’s speed forced a pragmatic style of engineering. Of course, it’s not always the best approach, but I like projects like that. They’re demanding, but they also force clarity.
What shipped
The finished product kept the slim profile needed for the upright handle while working as a standalone handheld vacuum. It went on to win Best Hand Vacuum in the 2021 Better Homes & Gardens Clean House Awards.
