How dishwashers are made
The tub comes out of a steel tool as one hot piece of plastic, then cools until workers can handle it.
- stations
- 11
- things upstream
- 94
- raw sources
- 27
- steps from the ground
- 10
The short version
The tub is usually stainless steel sheet, while cheaper models injection mold it in one piece from reinforced polypropylene. Coils of steel become doors and cabinets. Wire is welded into racks and baked with a PVC or nylon skin. On the line, workers bolt motors to a frame, fasten the tub over them, add spray arms, racks and door, then wrap the machine in bagged insulation.
-
Mold the tub
Molten polypropylene is forced under pressure into the space between two halves of a steel tool, filling every crevice. The hot tub is carried to a cooling area until workers can handle it. One patent lines the tub by first spraying stainless steel onto the mold core.
Goes in -
Mold the small parts
Cutlery baskets, detergent cups, the wash tower and spray arms are molded the same way. They wait in bins, one kind of part to a bin, until the line calls for them.
Goes in -
Stamp doors and cabinets
Prefinished coils of steel are cut and stamped into tubs, doors and, for stand-alone models, wrap-around cabinets.
Goes in -
Shear the frame bars
Flat steel bars are sheared to length, ready to be assembled into the frame that carries everything else.
Goes in -
Weld the racks
Coiled wire is trimmed, deburred and shaped. One tool welds all the pieces of the rack's perimeter at once, and another welds on the tines that hold the dishes.
Goes in -
Bake on the coating
After cleaning, each rack gets a fine PVC or nylon powder that is baked on and cured, so the tines will not scratch plates.
-
Mount motors on frame
Workers build the frame first and attach one or two motors, which arrive from subcontractors as finished assemblies, to special mounts.
Goes in -
Fit tub and interior
The tub is fastened into the frame over the motors. First comes the filter, then the wash tower and arms, the rack rollers, the racks and the cutlery basket.
-
Hang the door
The door gets its detergent dispenser, rinse-agent cups and controls and is attached to the front. Electrical connections and the clean and dirty water lines are then finished.
-
Wrap in insulation
Fibers sealed in a foil-like bag are wrapped around the machine and packed into the toe space. They cut noise and keep heat from warping nearby counters.
Goes in -
Inspect and carton
Quality engineers inspect finished machines and test selected units. Foam bumpers go on the edges, then a carton with the instructions on top.
Goes in
Worth repeating
- Dishwasher rack tines are baked in a skin of PVC or nylon powder so they will not scratch your plates.
- A rinse aid cuts the surface tension of the water, so the last drops run off and leave fewer spots.
- Some dishwashers use two motors, one for the water pump and one for draining, which needs less insulation for quiet running.
Back to the ground
Follow every input upstream and dishwasher starts as these 27 raw sources.
Everything it is made of See it on the map
Open the whole family tree
Keep walking
Sources
Cite this page: "How dishwashers are made." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/dishwasher