The history of electric shavers and Philips factory in the Netherlands

Recently, at the invitation of the Dutch company Philips I visited their largest factory for electric shavers in Drachten. I love to travel on such production, however, before the trip, I thought that the topic is not very interesting, but in reality was the opposite. For example, I learned that in the production of electric shavers Philips used Soviet aerospace technology, bought by the Dutch in Ufa in 1988.

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1. First Jacob Schick invented the electric razor (yes, the company Schick his name), it happened in 1927, when he was looking for a method without shaving cream and water (due to injury). In the mid-1930s, has sold 1.5 million Schick shavers - motor and shafts that drive knives to meet each other. This and other interesting information you can find in the student blog .

2. Completely new, rotary shaver in 1939 developed the engineer Alexander Horowitz, hired by Philips, it was known as Philishave Shaver. Here it is, in the hands of the advertising character of the time standing in a factory in Drahtene.

3. In this small Dutch town is factory that produce all razors Philips, as well as research and development center, which employs about 2,000 staff.

4. Showroom with different (not all) goods made by Philips and Bren museum all manufactured razors!

5. For 75 years it has been sold 600 million razors! Looking around the exhibition, you can see how the design has changed over the decades, and technology: there were batteries, colored plastic, from one shaver head came to all three.

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17. And here is the main model for today - SensoTouch 3D

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19. You can also try the new razor. And engaged than writer Leonid Kagan.

20. One of the SensoTouch 3D designers told us how to create the product - many months of studies of consumer preferences (shape, material, etc.) in different categories of things - phones, cars, computers, watches, etc.

21. Might look like a razor, if not the main enemies of designers - marketing)

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24. It turns out that shaving "by zero" provides special design knives. Here they are in a larger size, like shields, whose aim to catch hairs. That it is made by Soviet aerospace technology!

25. First hooked knife and pulls the hair, and the other cuts it.

26. Soviet technology, bought by Philips in 1988 in Ufa, allows you to make holes in the washer with the special shape of the electrodes and a special solution (you can see the video as it happens).

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28. Production itself is not small - a lot of rooms, which produce nearly 200 items, of which is, for example, SensoTouch 3D, then it all going to probably 90 percent - automatics.

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30. Around some incredible robots.

31. One of the most interesting sights - the smelting of plastic parts. General of the shops do not want to leave, conveyors each component for the production of very interesting