September 29, 2026 – Bobrick’s Wall-Mounted Automatic Soap and Sanitizer Dispensers bring non-proprietary consumable choice, sleek stainless-steel construction and familiar operation to a coordinated washroom offering. Designed as part of Bobrick’s SMART ecosystem, the platform combines dispensing performance with the visual identity and operating conventions of its automatic accessories.
Raffi Mekhitarian, Vice President of Engineering at Bobrick, discusses the priorities behind the complete product and what they mean for building owners, designers, and facility teams.
Q: What were Bobrick’s priorities in bringing this new dispensing platform to market?
RM: We wanted to bring together the things that matter in a commercial washroom: dependable dispensing, freedom of consumable choice, straightforward servicing and a product that looks and operates like part of the Bobrick family. Our focus was the complete offering: how dispensing performance, industrial design, sensing, lighting and SMART capabilities come together. The result extends our automatic accessory offering while giving facilities flexibility in how they provide soap and sanitizer.
Q: What does design continuity mean for this product?
RM: It means the dispenser flows visually with the rest of the washroom. The sleek, minimal form, seam-welded stainless-steel construction and familiar inverted illuminated triangle carry forward the look of our automatic accessories. For architects and owners, it supports a coordinated space down to the accessories people use every day.
Q: How does the dispenser fit within Bobrick’s SMART ecosystem?
RM: We approached it as part of a broader family of products, with a consistent way to operate and communicate status. It follows our SMART protocol which enables remote monitoring of dispenser levels for facilities that want it. However, it also includes lighting conventions that provide immediate awareness of the dispenser’s status for maintenance staff doing visual checks in facilities that don’t implement SMART technology. It’s simply one system designed for a variety of applications, giving facility managers the flexibility to configure it to their needs. That is the continuity we want across the ecosystem: a familiar experience for the user and a consistent approach for the facility team.
Q: How does the platform support different soap and sanitizer needs throughout a facility?
RM: The offering accommodates liquid and foam soaps, as well as compatible liquid and foam hand sanitizers, including alcohol-based formulations, with the appropriate dispensing configuration. Facilities can select soap for washbasin locations and sanitizer for entrances or common areas. This gives them flexibility in consumables and application while maintaining a consistent product appearance throughout the building.
Q: How does the commercial washroom environment shape your approach to product qualification?
RM: We consider the entire operating environment: repeated use, exposure to the intended consumables, routine cleaning, and access for refilling and maintenance. Qualification needs to assess how the complete product performs under those conditions, including dispensing, sensing, status indication, and cabinet durability. Our focus is on confidence in the assembled product and the experience it delivers to both users and the people responsible for maintaining it.
Q: How does Bobrick’s laboratory testing help ensure the dispenser’s reliability and robustness in commercial environments?
RM: Product qualification is a core competency at Bobrick. In our laboratory, we conduct extensive cycle testing, real-use testing, and chemical exposure testing to assess how the complete product withstands repeated operation and the conditions it will encounter in service. We evaluate dispensing consistency, component wear, and the effects of exposure to soaps, sanitizers, and cleaning products. That testing helps us identify potential failure modes and verify that performance holds up over time. It’s fundamental to the confidence we have in the products we bring to market and the reliability our customers expect from Bobrick.
The engineering approach and fluid physics from a user’s POV
Leak and drip prevention
Q: How does drip control contribute to the overall product experience?
RM: The dispensing system incorporates suck-back functionality to help limit residual dripping after a dispense. That contributes to cleaner surrounding surfaces and less wasted consumable. Its value comes from how it works within the complete product, along with automatic activation, level sensing, clear status indicators, and a durable, coordinated cabinet. These details shape the day-to-day experience of using and maintaining the dispenser.
Learn more about the Wall-Mounted Automatic Soap and Sanitizer Dispensers at Bobrick.
