Ludwigshafen, Germany
BASF and Heatworks, a US-based tech firm, partner to support the further development of the sustainable Tetra countertop dishwasher regarding its cleaning performance.
Sculpted and engineered in partnership with Frog Design, the Tetra’s compact dimensions are made possible by Heatwork’s previous efforts producing the Model 3 tankless water heater.
This is to enable the Tetra self-contained countertop dishwasher to wash up to three full place settings with just three liters of water.
Tetra cleans 50 percent more dishes using 40 percent less water in 55 percent of the time than the leading countertop dishwasher.
“With Tetra, we set out to build a best-in-class dishwasher, and we’re excited to partner with BASF to help us develop a first-of-its-kind self-dosing and tailored multi-use cleaning cartridge system,” said Jerry Callahan, CEO of Heatworks.
“As a fully self-contained dishwasher (patent pending), with several specific cycles for washing dishes, stemware, baby bottles, and fruits and vegetables, Tetra does not need any plumbing, which allows it to be deployed anyplace.”
Through the partnership, the two companies aim to work on solutions to significantly reduce consumers’ waste and maximize Tetra’s efficiency.
The goal is to optimize the right amount and type of chemistry based on the item the countertop dishwasher is washing: save water, conserve energy and help protect the environment.
“Heatworks is using an innovative approach to countertop dishwashers to address the trends of consumers living in smaller spaces and with specialty cleaning needs that are not met by traditional undercounter dishwashers,” said Robert Parker, Director, New Business Development & Digital Officer, Care Chemicals at BASF.
“As part of the project, Heatworks and BASF intend to utilize their complementary capabilities in engineering and chemistry to develop an improved cleaning performance for Tetra’s recyclable cartridge system.”
Tetra’s cleaning cartridges will be designed to deliver custom solutions and dosing, dependent on the selected wash cycle, ensuring each cleaning cycle is optimized.
Tetra’s cartridges will last for multiple loads and consumers will be able to sign up for a subscription, so that cartridges are shipped to them automatically.
“Our research indicates that although the average household is comprised of 2.58 people, the modern dishwasher holds place settings for 13 or more.”
“This makes people believe that they either need to handwash their few dirty dishes — which wastes 10 times more water than using a dishwasher — or wait for a fill load to run a cycle. With Tetra, we hope to change people’s mindset,” states Callahan.
Project: Tetra Countertop Dishwasher
Designers: Frog Design
Manufacturer: BASF and Heatworks Technologies
