By Claire Reilly

The eponymous founder of Dyson appliances descended on Sydney last night to unveil the brand’s latest additions to the commercial appliance space:  two new hand dryers and a combination tap and dryer that update and build on Dyson’s existing Airblade dryer.

Presenting the new products, Sir James Dyson explained the design principles behind the new Airblade mk2 hand dryer, the Airblade V hand dryer and the Airblade Tap hand dryer, as well as the reworked Dyson Digital Motor that goes inside three products to allow for increased performance and a smaller footprint.

“It really is a revolution,” Dyson said of the new 1,600-watt motor. “We’ve miniaturised it and improved it enormously. [The previous motor] went at 100,000 rpm, and this one goes at about 110,000 rpm. Now, no one else makes a motor that goes any faster than about 35,000 rpm. So these really are extraordinary motors.”

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The motor cost Dyson $40.9 million and took 10 years to develop, while the three new products were produced by a team of 125 Dyson engineers who tested more than 3,300 prototypes to develop the finished range.

The three products are designed for commercial use, though Dyson himself admitted that aesthetes and die-hard Dyson fans could put the taps in their house for domestic use. At RRP $1,590, it is comparable in price to an entry-level model from the Zip HydroTap range, and may not be out of reach for a high-end kitchen or bathroom installation.

Happy to give a demonstration of the new Airblade Tap to guests at the launch event, James Dyson said that, aside from saving paper and power when compared to other methods of drying, the benefits of a single product that washes and dries hands was clear.

“The thing about that is I haven’t had to cross paths with anyone else, I haven’t had to look at anyone else, I haven’t had to wait for anyone — I’ve washed and dried my hands in the sink.”

The Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer is available for RRP $1,590 across all models, the Airblade V hand dryer is RRP $1,290 and the Airblade mk2 hand dryer is RRP $1,390 for PC ABS plastic or RRP $1,590 for aluminium. The V and mk2 dryers were launched through Dyson and its partners at the start of February, while the Tap will be available from July.

Sir James Dyson comparing different Dyson motors at the Sydney launch.

Dyson poking around inside a new Airblade Tap.

Dyson washes and dries his hands on stage using the Airblade Tap.