'Untact Ice Water Dispensers' Born 1,000 Units Per Month

Cheongho Nice 'Jincheon Manufacturing Headquarters' Visit
Contactless Ice Water Purifier, 10,000 Units Produced Since June Launch
Operates with Infrared Distance Sensor... 'First Domestic Technology'

Assembly work is in full swing for the model 'Untact Ice Water Purifier,' which has been steadily gaining popularity since its launch last June at the Cheongho Nice Manufacturing Headquarters located in Iwol-myeon, Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk. This product is approaching a sales record of 10,000 units just over three months after its release.

[Jincheon, Chungbuk = Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Inside the production building of the Cheongho Nice Manufacturing Headquarters factory located in Iwol-myeon, Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk, visited on the 2nd, assembly work for the contactless ice water purifier is in full swing. Along the 60-meter-long large conveyor line, the main bodies of the water purifiers move in a row, and about 40 employees are busy assembling the ‘Cheongho Contactless Ice Water Purifier Senita’ and the stand-type ‘Cheongho Contactless Ice Water Purifier 550’ at their respective stations.

As COVID-19 prolongs, people are avoiding not only contact with others but also touching objects in public places, making the ‘contactless ice water purifier’ very popular, which has also kept the manufacturing line busy. Jeong Iho, Vice President overseeing the manufacturing headquarters, explained, “In an era where even minimal contact is avoided due to concerns about COVID-19 infection through contact, contactless water purifiers that allow water dispensing and ice discharge without touch are gaining high popularity, leading to increased production volumes on the manufacturing line.” Currently, 900 to 1,000 contactless water purifiers are produced monthly at the Jincheon manufacturing line, and according to factory officials, sales of contactless ice water purifiers are expected to surpass 10,000 units this year.

Cheongho Nice's 'Untact Ice Water Purifier' allows users to select water and ice types simply by bringing their hand close without direct touch, enhancing hygiene that has gained attention due to COVID-19. Video by Heeyoon Kim

On the factory’s third-floor test line, product quality inspections are underway. The contactless water purifier, the first of its kind introduced domestically, features an infrared distance sensor that detects the user’s hand movement, enabling operation without touch. When the reporter placed a hand near the selection sensor along with a test staff member, options for purified water, cold water, hot water, and ice were sequentially selectable. After making a selection, placing a hand near the dispensing sensor caused the chosen option among purified water, cold water, hot water, or ice to be dispensed. A factory official introduced, “It can be used in the same way as conventional water purifiers and also in a contactless manner, making it popular in multi-use facilities such as offices, schools, and restaurants.”

Established in 1994, Cheongho Nice’s Jincheon Manufacturing Headquarters has expanded to currently occupy 49,492㎡ (15,000 pyeong) with three buildings. It consists of the production building, logistics building, and materials building, with water purifier products including contactless ice water purifiers manufactured on the first floor of the production building. On the day of the visit, it was a production day for contactless water purifiers. Recently, to improve production efficiency, the manufacturing line was reorganized from a large conveyor to a cell line, focusing on small-lot production. Vice President Jeong said, “The first and third floors of the production building have a 60-meter large conveyor line; the first floor operates as the water purifier production line, and the third floor handles inspection and testing. The second floor focuses on small-lot production to respond immediately to customer demand, producing water purifiers, air purifiers, and water softeners in small cell lines.”

At each unit on the first-floor conveyor line, major components such as compressors and distance sensors are assembled, and the final completed contactless water purifiers are produced at a rate of about 80 units per hour. The finished products go through packaging by packaging robots and move along the line, with random unpacking and inspection conducted intermittently to minimize the possibility of defects. After relocating the logistics center from another region to the Jincheon Manufacturing Headquarters, a system has been established to ship products simultaneously with manufacturing, enabling faster response to consumer demand, explained a factory official.

The process of ice formation using the patented nozzle injection method by Cheongho Nice. Video provided by Cheongho Nice

Since launching the ice water purifier for the first time in the industry in 2003, ice has become a symbol of Cheongho Nice’s water purifier technology. Although there is no difference between regular ice and clear ice other than visual aspects, the image of clear and transparent ice greatly influences consumers, leading water purifier companies to compete in technology patents for ice manufacturing methods. As consumer preference for transparent ice made by the nozzle spray method increased, Cheongho Nice released the ‘Cheongho Direct Water Ice Water Purifier Senita Super’ boasting ice production capacity comparable to ice makers in June. The transparent ice structure, which can be put in the mouth and bitten, is a unique strength of Cheongho. Vice President Jeong stated, “Recently, to meet diverse consumer demands, we produce various products such as contactless water purifiers, self-management water purifiers, and direct water ice water purifiers on a rotating basis once or twice a week. With the strengthening of cleanliness and hygiene due to COVID-19, we will further enhance the completeness of the manufacturing process to guarantee product hygiene and long-term durability.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.