Dyson has launched a new vacuum cleaner which has taken designers at the firm’s Malmesbury base ten years to develop.

Dyson says its new DC35 Digital Slim is the world’s most powerful lightweight, cordless cleaner.

It uses anti-static carbon fibre brushes to improve the collection of dust from hard floors.

Inventor Sir James Dyson said the machine’s motor runs faster than a Formula 1 car engine, spinning a neodymium magnet at up to 104,000rpm.

He said: “Because of its speed it can be smaller, stronger and more efficient.

“The digital motor is light, small and powerful, which means DC35 can be light, small and powerful.”

A total of 225 patents relating to technology in the cutting edge machine have been lodged by Dyson and the Digital Slim has been put through more than 200 hours of testing.

A Dyson spokesman said the group of designers responsible for creating the new high speed motor had changed over the ten-year period but during that time the motor department had increased from 50 to 80 staff.

She also said that the Digital Slim was the first vacuum cleaner in the world outside Japan to be made from carbon fibre, which pound for pound is stronger than steel.

She said: “Traditionally it has been used in hi-tech, heavy industries like aerospace.

“But it is such a good material why not find other, domestic uses for it?”

The 22.2 volt lithium battery provides 15 minutes of cleaning from each charge and the 66cm aluminium ‘wand’ allows the machine to be used either standing up or as a handheld vacuum cleaner.

But all this hi-tech wizardry doesn’t come cheap – the Digital Slim will go on sale priced £199.99.

The spokesman said the launch, which will see the product sold in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the US, won’t directly lead to new staff but is part of the company’s general recruitment drive announced last year.

Dyson is doubling the number of engineers and scientists at its Malmesbury headquarters from 350 to 700 with 100 already recruited.

Graduate design engineers, mechanical engineers and acoustic engineers are among those joining the UK team, which is set to rise to 1,600.

The spokesman said: “For our recent graduates it will provide them excellent experience to be working with us during a major product launch.”