Unilever Leans Into AI-Accelerated Digital Models In Laundry Launch
Unilever has been known to use robotics in its R&D and manufacturing processes, and the latest innovation comes from within its laundry segment.
Keith Rutherford, home care R&D head of global innovation, shared with CGT the details behind Unilever’s newest laundry detergent, Wonder Wash, created specifically for short and cold wash cycles.
To save consumers time and energy, the company leaned on state-of-the-art robotics and AI-accelerated digital models to develop a laundry detergent that would clean clothes without leaving residue in as short as 15 minutes.
Data-Powered Innovation
“In our R&D center, we used a capability that utilizes the million-plus data points over the last five years to design our formulations — even ahead of testing,” said Rutherford. “This enables us to carefully harness the knowledge from all the testing that we do across the world.”
These insights accrue data such as the level of ingredients within fragrance, surfactants, enzymes, and polymers to predict how they will perform under different laundry conditions, across various types of washing machines, water types and temperatures, and the number of stains on clothing.
“The computational models helped us to get better insights on how to formulate our products, without having to create thousands of prototypes to test,” said Rutherford.
The company also shared that it tested the product against competitors’ using its Pro-S technology across four of the biggest challenges consumers face in short-cycle washes: malodor removal, absence of residues, freshness, and fabric care.
In a company statement, Eduardo Campanella, business group president for Unilever Home Care, said the effort will also help reduce environmental impact by encouraging shorter, energy-saving cycles.
“Using over a century in detergent-development, we’ve overcome a real technical challenge to offer outstanding performance even in the shortest timeframe and the difficult washing conditions of the short cycle,” he added.
Unilever’s Growth Action Plan
Unilever released the detergent for its “Under its Dirt Is Good” brand (known as Persil, OMO, and Skip) — one of the company’s 30 Power Brands.
The effort aligns with the company’s Growth Action Plan, announced last October to focus on high-performing brands in the company’s portfolio and address challenges related to cost management, productivity gains, and production and logistics innovation.
As part of this, Unilever has invested heavily in areas such as beauty & wellness, personal care, home care, and nutrition, while separating from other business segments like ice cream to free up resources.
