Both drums are geared and powered from the back. A polymer circumferential bearing separates the drums and prevents fabric edges from getting caught between them. The two drums counter-rotate at the same speed in relation to each other, but that speed varies by wash load. For example, the drums counter-rotate at 52 RPM on the cotton cycle but only at 10 RPM for the woolen cycle. Using smaller, but more numerous perforations in the drums also helps.
Greater capacity is one benefit afforded by the new machine.
The cubic volume within the double-drum arrangement is 78 liters, which Dyson says gives a 60 percent greater wash load capacity than competitive machines. But the most important advantage coming from the dual-drum arrangement is improved cleaning performance. Dyson says the Controrotator provides a throughput of 13 lbs. The higher throughput can, therefore, halve the time a consumer spends on laundry. While washing performance was the No.1 target for Contrarotator project, Dyson engineers also designed a number of other innovative features into the new machine to further separate from others on the market.