Whirlpool IceMagic Pro 2020 直冷单门冰箱

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The Direct Cool refrigerator category is India's largest volume sales category catering to the mass market. This category has a number of prominent brands having homogeneous design and minimal technology, virtually indistinguishable from each other. The biggest challenge is to attract the consumers with a unique design that attract the intenders on the shop floors, stands out from competition and consumer relevant innovative features that serve their unmet & unarticulated needs.
Regular user interactions ensured that the product designed & developed has the right aspirational aesthetics for the target segment. The rhythmic arrangement of the crescent door profile, sturdy bow-shaped handle, flowing top door endcap with integrated pocket handle and the pedestal with partitioned drawer commands attention, while engaging the consumer intuitively. To improve manufacturing efficiency & cost-optimization, manufacturing tools for various capacities like 200L, 215L, 245L & 280L had to be commonized and parts have been designed to be used in more than one capacity, but achieve harmonious look across the lineup
A pan-India consumer research suggested that periodic defrosting of freezers is currently a tedious affair. Usually with competitor products, users need to be mindful of defrosting the freezer which they forget. The IceMagic Pro is a blessing as it offers intelligent Auto-Defrost technology which senses frost formation, automatically regulates temperatures and defrosts periodically without user intervention.
Integrating electronics for the 1st time in direct cool fridge, allowed us to offer a UI panel on the freezer instead of the knob control, which allows the user to choose 4 desirable modes : Fast ice, Quick Chill, Everyday & PowerSaver.
The target user segment is the next billion segment in India , which is often neglected by almost all brands. Till now, no brand has invested to offer intuitive cooling modes for the target segment at such a tight-cost structure. Integrating electronics for the 1st time in direct cool refrigerators, allowed us to offer a UI panel on the freezer instead of the typical knob control, which now intuitively allows the user to choose from 4 intuitive modes. Whirlpool now is perceived as a brand which gives equal importance to all the user- segments in the market thereby further strengthening its brand vision of 'Everyday Care'.
With the new winning aesthetics, innovative features and craftsmanship quality, the IceMagic Pro has set a high benchmark in the Direct Cool refrigerator Category in India.
Within weeks of the launch of IceMagic Pro, there has been phenomenal sales pan-India. Conversion from competition in showrooms to buy this product has been seen as soon as intenders have start interacting with the product. With the new winning aesthetics, innovative features and craftsmanship quality, the IceMagic Pro will be setting a high benchmark in the Direct Cool refrigerator Category in India.

Dimensions & Packaging

Gross Capacity (L) - 200L (other capacities 215L, 245L & 280l)
Cyclopentane Insulation - Yes
12 Day Garden Fresh in vegetable crisper - Yes
HoneyComb Crisper Cover HoneyComb Crisper Cover
Advanced Moisture Control - Yes
Insulated Capillary Cooling Technology - Yes
Fastest in Ice Making - Yes (95 min)
Cooling Retention with Insulated Capillary Technology - 12 Hours in the Entire Refrigerator
Intelligent Defrosting Yes
Works without Stabiliser - Yes (130V-300V)
Warranty-10 Year
Dimensions of 200L : Width (cm) - 53.5 Depth (cm) - 61.5 Height (cm) - 136

Tags

Cost -Optimized, Unique Aesthetics, High Speed-to-market, high competition,

Production Technology

Door - Pre-coated , vinyl-coated stainless steel (sheet metal operations : punching, press) ,
External plastic parts - door end caps, handle, pedestal - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ( Injection molded ),
Internal parts : Door + cabinet liner - white High Impact Polystyrene Sheet (thermoforming ) ,
Internal Door Bins & vegetable basket : Transparent General Purpose Polystyrene (injection molded),
Shelves : Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene frame (injection molding) + glass

Design Challenge

The Direct Cool Category of refrigerators is India's largest volume sales category catering to the mass market segment. This category has a number of prominent brands but they all have very homogeneous design and minimal technology, virtually indistinguishable from each other. The biggest challenge is therefore to entice the consumers with a uniquely new design on the shop floors and stand out from the rest of the competition. Defrosting of freezers is currently a pain and a tedious affair. Considering performance, IceMagic Pro is the only direct cool refrigerator in India to offer intelligent auto-defrosting features. Usually with competitor products, the consumers needs to remember the defrosting function and defrost periodically. The new IceMagic Pro on the other hand is a boon for every Single Door direct cool refrigerator consumer who intends to buy one, because it auto-defrosts periodically.

Apart from its performance features, its aesthetics is a game changer. It is the most advanced and evolved design in its segment. The smart design offers a unique combination of various design & functional elements to create a perfectly balanced and poised product as a whole. This rhythmic arrangement of the crescent top door profile, sturdy bow-shaped handle, flowing door top endcap with integrated pocket handle and the base pedestal with drawer commands attention, is memorable and creates differentiation while engaging the consumer intuitively. The internal space management has been well thought of to accommodate even the tallest vessels as well which is a prevalent mode of storage in many parts of India. The door also has a refined curvature which along with being minimal offers a canvas to apply beautiful decorative patterns that liven up the home interiors. Unconventional & daring use of usual material palette has led to this revolutionary design. It's differentiation, beauty & Hi-tech quotient make it a winner in the Indian Market.

The whole lineup of Single Door refrigerator in various capacities like 200L, 215L(525mm platform), 215L(560mm platform), 245L & 280L (600mm platform) has been re - envisioned. An entire new door metal line has been set up and put to use for the manufacturing of the entire refrigerator lineup in a record breaking time of 6 months which helped achieve high speed to market. To improve manufacturing efficiency, Door forming Tools for various capacities have been commonized for New Door investments and to facilitate the same, door profile & door edge has been designed in a way to do so. Same Door endcaps & pedestals have been used in more than one capacities which was hardest to commonize for a wide range of capacities . Also the same handle has been used in all the capacitiy models across the lineup. The handle dimensions & placement location for mounting has been chosen in such a way that even by using the same handle for a wide range of capacity models across the platform, the lineup still maintains a harmonious look throughout. The close collaboration between Design & Engineering has helped the company to improve manufacturing efficiency thereby.

Research

New energy norms (regulated by The Bureau of Energy Efficiency) to be applied in India from 2020 and amortization of tools demanded a complete new lineup for Single Door Refrigerators for India market with improved cooling & winning aesthetics. Consumer Research suggested the demand for new type aesthetics in the single door refrigerator category and the need for a strong & sturdy external handle meant for rough usage.
Aesthetics options were made and a dipstick consumer validation was done to test the concept directions. Henceforth, final aesthetics were developed after rigorous refinement. The challenge was to integrate a big top curvature and a front big curvature in the door sheet metal with edge crimping & hidden endcaps.

For the interiors, usability testing was done with Indian vessels of various shapes and sizes to design and develop the ideal space management solutions and integrate noticeable interior features.

Inspiration

The single door refrigerator has been visualised as a flowing waterfall from a hilltop. The Door profile has been kept minimal . This helps in catering to a larger target segment. The attributes of flowing water has been inculcated in the parts as well as the overall form.

Project Duration

The project started in Nov 2018 and will end in Aug 2020.
Till now 200L, 215L (525mm width & 560mm width) have launched. 245L & 280L will be launched in March2020.

Patents

Design Registrations Applied

Image Credits

Renders : Pritam Sarkar