Sepstar Zhuhai x Electrolux: Pop-Out Steam Water Tank
Electrolux partnered with Jieyuan Electric to address long-standing performance issues in its steam oven water tanks. Initially, existing sensors and pop-out mechanisms failed to meet durability standards, with lifespans limited to around 1,000 cycles.
Beginning in 2012, Jieyuan entered Electrolux’s supplier shortlist and, by 2014, its engineering team—led by Tony Wu—was directly engaged in co-developing a new pop-out steam water tank assembly. Through rigorous testing, custom equipment development, and iterative optimization, Jieyuan solved key challenges such as uneven wear, water sealing, and sensor malfunctions. The final design achieved 5,000–10,000 cycles of reliability and was successfully mass-produced in 2014.
By 2023, the product had evolved to its fifth generation and became one of Electrolux’s most successful components, earning Jieyuan a Supplier Innovation Award Finalist recognition in 2015. The success of this project also expanded Jieyuan’s role as a core supplier, with Electrolux becoming its top customer by sales volume.
Case Detail:
- Product Overview
Electrolux, a global leader in home and professional appliances, has long been at the forefront of the international market in kitchen and cleaning solutions. As a Fortune Global 500 company, Electrolux operates factories in more than 60 countries and sells over 40 million household products annually in more than 150 countries.
On August 21, 2014, Jieyuan Electric successfully delivered the pop-out steam water tank assembly (a critical component used in steam ovens) to Electrolux’s factory in Germany. This milestone marked the beginning of Jieyuan’s project team working in true alignment with customer needs, participating in the early stages of design and development, continuously improving performance, and resolving customer challenges.
- Development Background
At the end of 2012, Electrolux’s water tank technology procurement team came to China in search of new suppliers for the pop-out steam water tank. Through the recommendation of Kingfa Technology (China’s largest listed modified plastics manufacturer), Jieyuan Electric entered Electrolux’s supplier shortlist as a promising candidate.
Jieyuan’s robust quality and production management systems, coupled with extensive experience supplying top global brands, ensured strong capabilities in quality control, cost management, and process management. The engineering and R&D teams’ rigorous approach—focused on real-world data collection, customer feedback, and upfront quality planning—earned high recognition from Electrolux.
From that point onward, Jieyuan’s project team, led by project manager Tony Wu (Wu Shengdong), began direct collaboration with Electrolux’s water tank R&D team in Italy, becoming deeply involved in the development and design of the new product.
In the future, Jieyuan Electrical Appliances will pay more attention to the deep needs of customers, participate in the design and development of projects at the source, and provide professional and innovative solutions to make our home appliances accessories more comfortable, environmentally friendly, clean and safe.
- Development Process
Tony recalled: “The biggest challenge in developing a water tank is extending the service life of the pop-out mechanism. The difficulty lies in uneven wear and stress during repeated pop-out cycles. The customer’s initial design lasted only around 1,000 cycles, far below consumer usage requirements.”
Working closely with Electrolux, Jieyuan’s team defined testing standards and methods, designed custom in-house testing equipment, and developed non-standard devices to analyze data. Based on repeated trials, the team provided three key recommendations:
- Add dual-point positioning on the rack;
- Apply lubrication at critical friction points;
- Adjust the buffer pad position.
The team further supported the customer with simple simulation demonstrations to validate solutions. Through persistent experimentation, iterative optimization, and data-driven refinements, the team overcame numerous challenges and ultimately achieved the customer’s requirement of 5,000–10,000 successful cycles for the pop-out mechanism.
This life-cycle optimization process not only met Electrolux’s higher quality demands but also showcased Jieyuan’s professional, systematic, and problem-solving capabilities.
During development, the team also identified and resolved additional issues, such as malfunctions of the side-mounted water level sensor and dynamic water sealing problems. By maintaining close communication with Electrolux through calls, emails, and video conferences, Jieyuan ensured that test results and key information were delivered promptly.
From design reviews and prototype evaluations to soft tooling trials and process troubleshooting, Jieyuan provided comprehensive technical support. By March 2014, the pop-out steam water tank assembly entered full-scale production.
- Project Outcomes
Since mass production, continuous improvements have been implemented. By 2023, the product had evolved into its fifth-generation version.
The pop-out steam water tank assembly became one of Electrolux’s flagship success stories. In December 2015, Jieyuan Electric was invited to Stockholm, Sweden, for Electrolux’s Global Supplier Awards Ceremony, where the company was honored as a Supplier Innovation Award Finalist.
Following its success, related orders for water tank brackets, supports, and other small appliance components from Electrolux increased significantly. By the end of 2022, Electrolux had become Jieyuan’s largest customer by sales share—a remarkable achievement that all began with this “small water tank.”
- Conclusion
From its inception, Jieyuan Electric has committed to a customer-oriented development philosophy, ensuring full team participation, continuous improvement, and resource integration to deliver exceptional products and services.
Looking forward, Jieyuan will focus even more on addressing customers’ deeper needs by participating at the earliest stages of design and development, offering specialized and innovative solutions. Our vision is to ensure that every appliance component we deliver contributes to making households more comfortable, eco-friendly, hygienic, and safe.
Our Commitment
From concept to mass production, Sepstar provides customer-driven, innovative, and sustainable solutions. We continuously invest in advanced technology, lean manufacturing, and global talent development—ensuring that every product we deliver enhances comfort, safety, and sustainability in modern living.
Looking ahead, Jieyuan Electric will place greater emphasis on addressing customers’ deeper and more complex needs. By engaging at the earliest stages of project design and development, we aim to provide specialized, innovative solutions. Our goal is to ensure that every appliance component we deliver contributes to making households more comfortable, environmentally friendly, hygienic, and safe.
Home
Product
News
Contact