The necessary premise to obtain Zamak components for household appliances able to become an added value for the entire object is the creation of a relationship of understanding and trust between the die caster and the producer of appliances. In fact, only through the mutual exchange of expertise and knowledge it is possible to achieve optimal results, able to meet not only the customer’s requirements, but also the expectations of the final consumer.If you want to learn more about saving opportunities connected with the choice of the right die casting supplier we suggest you to read the post How the right die casting supplier can help your company’s VAVE. 

Advantages of Zamak components for household appliances

In the first part of this article we are analyzing the main advantages that result from the choice of zinc alloys for household appliances components with an eye to the needs of the household appliances producer and to the expectations of the final consumer. Thereafter we will present some brief case studies able to illustrate the processes and the strategic choices that have been adopted in order to obtain optimized products.

The advantages on the side of the household appliances producer that will be considered are:

• Co-design
• Functional beauty
• Design freedom
• Freedom of superficial treatments
• Finishing and assembly
• Cost reduction

  From the final consumer side we will consider the value added by zinc component in a household appliance in these regards:

• Appearance, quality, resistance
• Cleaning
• Recyclability
  

  Advantages from the producer’s point of view

  There are many advantages on the producer side, for some of them we will offer a more complete analysis while for others we will just discuss some details, providing indications on where to find articles that address these subjects more in detail.

Co-design

As anticipated, it is only through a relationship of understanding and trust that it is possible to question established methods and procedures in order to define new ones able to lead to an optimization of processes and products. To establish such a relationship it is necessary to choose a supplier of Zamak components for household appliances with the competences, the experience and the knowledge necessary to undertake, together with the customer, the co-design process. In fact the right supplier will be able to work on the design of the component suggesting optimization strategies for molds and filling flows, shapes and walls able to lead to the creation of unique and exclusive products.

To discover some of the co-design strategies that it is possible to implement to reduce weight, and as a consequence costs, of household appliances we suggest to read Weight reduction for white goods industry.

Functional beauty

The co-design process shall be led by the principle of functional beauty, which is the removal of unnecessary details aimed at improving the aesthetical qualities of the functional parts.

The achievement of functional beauty is synonym of true collaboration between designers and manufacturers, in fact it implies a joint and targeted action that allows the obtainment of results able to satisfy both sides.

To achieve functional beauty, thanks to the synergy achieved during the co-design phase, it is necessary to put at the core of the process the coexistence of functional and aesthetical elements without forgetting that, to obtain really valid results, it is necessary to consider options compliant with the die casting productive process.

In the article Functional beauty: the case of Nespresso KitchenAid Artisan 5KES0503  it is possible to find a more detailed definition of functional beauty and its exemplification through a case study.

Design freedom

Functional beauty and co-design are tools that help the producer of household appliances to obtain products able to meet his or her requirements. However, both the hot chamber die casting technology and the choice of zinc alloys allow a great design freedom. In fact through the die casting process it is possible to obtain complex and articulate shapes with very thin walls that allow the creation of unique components and customized details and shapes.

Freedom of superficial treatments

The surface of zinc alloys die casts is particularly suitable for superficial treatments and finishing. In fact components can undergo various kinds of treatments in order to achieve an external appearance that is appealing and customized according to the requests of the customer. These treatments are, for example, chrome plating, powder coating and liquid painting. Moreover, the advantage given by this kind of treatments is not only aesthetical but it results also in an augmented superficial resistance of the products, and, for extension, of their life time.

Finishing and assembly

Thanks to the introduction of automation, anthropomorphic robots and ad hoc realized machineries it is possible to automate a great number of secondary operations, such as assembly and finishing, and of quality control. The possibility to undertake these operations with a reduced contribution of personnel allows the customer to obtain ready-to-use components at a competitive price and with a reduced cycle time. Moreover, the development of automations and ad hoc machineries allows quality and compliance controls to be done quickly and in exemption from the risk of human error with a noticeable decrease of returns due to not compliance.

Costs reduction

Beyond the saving opportunities allowed by automation and accuracy in designing the mold and the filling flows, it is important to underline also the cost effectiveness resulting from the choice of zinc as raw material for the creation of die casts.

In fact zinc alloys are different from other metals or metallic alloys for their competitiveness in costs and production times. Zinc alloys do not require high temperatures to melt and, as a consequence, also the cooling times result reduced. These factors, in their turn, mean a cycle time that is short if compared to the one of other metals and in an increase of the productive capacity of the plant.

Zinc can be competitive also in comparison to plastic materials: for example, to obtain the stiffness and resistance of zinc, plastics have to be reinforced with glass fiber or with special polymers with a resulting increase of the costs for the material.

Advantages from the customer’s point of view

Customer experience is what the customer feels when approaching to a product. In defining the quality of this relationship there are a number of variables connected to the actual situation, but also to consumption and market trends. Specifically, for the relationship between the user and the appliance some important factors are: the performance of the product, its usefulness, appearance, texture, resistance, the global perception of the object and its alignment, or misalignment, to consumption trends.

Let’s now analyze some relevant factors, able to influence the customer experience for a home appliance and to determine the perception of value and quality of the object.

Appearance, quality, resistance

Zamak components for household appliances are able to convey good visual and tactile sensations. From a visual point of view an element made of zinc, which is coated or chromed, distinguishes itself from the rest of the body of the appliance resulting in a prominent and valuable element. Also from a tactile point of view a metal functional element gives feelings of greater reliability and resistance in comparison to the same component made of plastic. In this way it is possible to obtain a differential advantage given by the visual and tactile feelings of the user that result in a perception of value.

Cleaning

On the customer side an important aspect when choosing an appliance is the easiness of cleaning. To clean chromed zinc is easier than to clean other surfaces: the metal has an hard and smooth surface that lends itself well to be polished and on which it is easy to find, and to remove, stains and rings. The added value determined by an appliance that is easy to clean is not only aesthetical because, in this case, also cleaning variables intervenes, which are particularly important if the object is intended for the treatment of food.

Recyclability

In the last few years, consumers gained an always greater awareness in matter of environmental sustainability and recycle. The search for easily disposable products and with little environmental footprint has been able to modify markets that were solid and it caused changes in sales and supply chains. Household appliances, characterized by a quite long life time are an excellent source of recyclable materials. Zinc is a valuable material that offers the possibility to be recycled repeatedly and that allows C2C productive practice, namely the kind of production that from the beginning establishes the re-employment of the used materials. Therefore, for the consumer, choosing household appliances with zinc components proves to be a guarantee of recyclability and eco-friendly practices.

To know more about the advantages connected to recyclability in the production of Zamak components for household appliances we suggest you to read White goods: improving sales through sustainable choices.

Case studies

The household appliances with Zamak components can be large or small and intended for professional or domestic use.

Below we present three case studies, the first one is about a small coffee machine intended for the consumer market, the second one is about a professional coffee machine and the third one is about a component for white goods such as the hinge for washing machines.

Appliance for domestic use: coffee machine

Among the zinc alloy components for household appliances we would like to focus on a component of the coffee machine: the cup support, a functional component with a primary aesthetic quality.

The optimization of this product started with a PDCA study that made it possible to consider and to analyze all the phases of the process and to undertake the actions necessary to optimize it.

Thanks to the study it has been possible to identify the appropriate parameters for the regulation of the fusion and for the filling of the mold and the time intervals necessary to optimally complete the productive process. Thanks to the results of the analyses conducted during the simulation phase it has been possible to estimate the changes in the superficial quality and the cycle time variations depending on the temperatures of the mold.

Moreover, thanks to the results of the study, it has been possible to focus the attention on the most value adding actions to the entire productive process: this way it has been decided to make the production more effective with the introduction of an automation dedicated to the processing of the components.

In particular the automation concerned the superficial treatment of the cup support, a component that, due to its particular shape, could not undergo processing of the internal surface before chroming phase. For this reason it has been identified a mold filling that allowed the reduction to zero of the faults in the not workable part. Furthermore, already during the die casting phase, a superficial roughness such as to allow a good result of the subsequent chroming treatment was obtained.

To deepen this subject we suggest you to read the article Zinc Die Casting for small appliances: components for coffee machines and to watch the video Die casting for household appliances: coffee machines 

It is possible to gather more information on the future development of the coffee machines market reading the article Using zinc in die casting for smart coffee makers.

Appliance for professional use: coffee machine

Professional appliances have to meet the expectations of the workers that use them daily and of the consumers of the service made possible by the appliance.

The professional coffee machine we are discussing in this case study is an example of the above mentioned situation: the appliance has to be considered efficient by the professional but it also has to give the same impression to the less expert eye of the customers.

A challenge, in manufacturing components for this product, has been to realize a chromed wall with the name of the appliances brand imprinted on the surface.

The obtainment of a writing in relief directly during die casting does not allow the component to undergo the polishing operations that components to be chromed usually undergo. For this reason it has been implemented a strategy aimed at obtaining a surface suitable to be chromed right after die casting. Studies conducted with special simulation software allowed the right injection and outlet points to be found and to be moved to the internal wall of the component in order not to affect the surface quality. Moreover, filling flows have been optimized to obtain a surface without air inclusions and porosity and the vacuum valve allowed a further reduction of these faults bringing the scrap rate close to zero.

Only zinc could have allowed this result: with other materials such a thin relief and a superficial quality such as to guarantee an excellent result of the galvanic treatment without previous preparations could have not been obtained.

On International Zinc Association website it is possible to read a data sheet of this product with a brief description of the optimization process  undertaken for its components.

White goods: washing machine

The hinges for the washing machine porthole are a functional component that can be produced in zinc. An interesting aspect, related to the realization of this product, is the necessity to assemble plastic bushings on the die cast. To optimize this productive process  it has been found the solution to design an automation able to perform the necessary semi-automatic assembly operations. Thanks to the system controlled remotely by PLC it is possible to place the hinges in different positions according to the version to be assembled. The introduction of this automation allowed the reduction of the cycle time and of the manual contribution of the operator with a consequent cost reduction. Moreover, automation has allowed precise outputs to be obtained, compliant with high qualitative standards.

For more information and to watch the machine for the semi-automatic assembly in action watch the video Bruschi – Die casting for household appliances: hinge for washing machines.

These are just some of the components for household appliances that it is possible to produce in Zamak, in fact, as mentioned above, the great versatility of the material allow a wide range of solutions to be created.

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1. DESIGN FREEDOM

Zinc, more precisely zinc alloys (ZAMAK), is a material that allows the production of components having nearly any type of shape. Thanks to zinc it is possible to obtain very thin surfaces that could not be achieved with other materials, such as aluminum. This results in a wider freedom in the design of a component, with consequent uniqueness and distinctiveness of the produced piece. Zinc thus represents an exceptional metal for the manufacturing of components which result complex from a shape perspective.

The following table contains zinc and aluminum values of minimum wall thickness: 

By choosing zinc for the production of small appliances it is possible to achieve several advantages related to the quality of the components, as zinc alloys present stable shrinking and high resistance. For example, compared to plastic materials, zinc presents a better typical precision and a superior yield and tensile strength (Table 1): these features result in a higher design freedom, not to mention remarkable qualities of the final product.

Table 1 – Typical Precision, Yield Strenght and Tensile Strenght values for zinc and plastic materials

2. HIGH END AESTHETICAL TREATMENTS

Several superficial treatments can be applied on zinc alloys. Specifically, it is possible to enhance aesthetical characteristics of the components through treatments which transform the product and improve its finish. The main aesthetical treatments realizable on zinc are:

• Galvanic treatments: polished chrome finish, satin chrome finish, different colors finish
• Liquid Painting
• Powder coating
• Special treatments to avoid material wear

Furthermore, specific treatments that take advantage of the physical properties of the alloy can be realized on zinc components. Among the mentioned treatments, powder coating is a brilliant example of an aesthetical treatment achievable through powder electro-deposition and cooking at high temperatures (around 200°C). This type of coating permits to obtain a better texture to the touch compared to painting. Realizing this treatment on a zinc component lends to it a significant added value.
Materials treatments generally follow the trends of the reference sector. A limitless variety of solutions that can be applied to zinc can help to fulfil this variable requirement.

3. SUPPLIER’S SUPPORT

A customer that relies on a qualified zinc supplier can discover in its vertical experience the ability of working on design too and to recommend to its customers innovative layouts and special finishes. This service, known as co-design, is the collaboration between client and die casting supplier, which aims to realize a product with specific functions and mechanical features that is at the same time compliant with manufacturing processes. Co-design can help designers to deeply understand zinc properties and to fully take advantage of their supplier’s know-how.
Zinc is a versatile material that allows experimenting with shapes and designs, thus permitting the conception and creation of unique and original pieces. As zinc die casting represents a very vertical market, its suppliers have a deep and vertical knowledge of the subject and can support customers in the production of distinctive pieces. The adaptability of zinc alloys proves especially helpful as far as small appliances are concerned: whereas other products are more standardized and creative design is limited, small appliances turn out to be a suitable product to test zinc versatility. As they are composed of several components, it is possible to imagine a wide variety of solutions with the use of zinc alloys, thus implementing the appearance, the performance and the distinctiveness of a product.

4. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

A further aspect that has to be taken into consideration when selecting a material is the customer experience. The relationship between end user and product consists of several variables, such as performance and usefulness, but also visual appearance, texture and durability. Zinc components convey excellent perceptions in terms of visual impact and touch feeling. A product made of zinc is more likely to be perceived as clean, resistant and of top quality.
As regards these features, it is essential to consider that the consumer has access to the use of small appliances through handles and buttons. If the body of the product is made of plastic, the handle or the button should be made of zinc, in order to offer the user a different experience in the use of the product. These details enhance the customer experience and make the difference in the customer’s choice of a product.

5. CLEANING OF COMPONENTS

From the end user’s point of view the ease of cleaning of a product is an aspect that influences the purchasing choice. For example cleaning chromed zinc components is easier compared to other surfaces, because they present a hard, solid and smooth surface. A product with these characteristics simplifies the cleaning process, making it quicker and more efficient: this results in a benefit for the consumer. Not only chromed zinc components are easy to clean, but they also convey a perception of neatness and brightness that impacts on the consumer’s eye. These qualities make zinc components stand out compared to other surfaces.

6. ZINC RECYCLABILITY

Virtuous companies are increasingly looking for sustainability. To support a sustainable development it is advisable to use recyclable materials, one of which is zinc. Zinc alloys can be re-melted and re-used several times without detriment to their properties. Normally the use of re-melted zinc alloys is limited to roughly 50% and this enables to completely exhaust production scrap. Today the implementation of this recycling system allows recycling a great number of zinc die casting scraps. Zinc thus represents a material with very low toxicity, not energy intensive to produce and recyclable. These properties make zinc an “environmentally friendly” material. 

7. REDUCED LEAD TIME

Lead time is the period of time that a company needs to fulfill a customer’s request in terms of supply. Logically, a short period translates into quicker results and a more satisfied client. In order to achieve this condition, zinc represents an efficient material thanks to its reduced cycle time. As a matter of fact, lead time is a concept related to cycle time: the period of time required to complete the manufacturing of a product, including every single process that leads to the finished product. Considering the cycle time of a product it is therefore possible to assume its related lead time. By choosing zinc instead of other materials, such as aluminum and plastic, lead time will be shortened, resulting in a more efficient and quicker service.
As mentioned above, cycle times related to zinc alloys die casting are lower compared to cycle times of aluminum alloys and plastic materials. In the first case, aluminum is molded at significantly higher temperatures, therefore the cycle time is superior due to cooling range. As far as plastic is concerned, it has superior filling times.
Below a table indicating values of cycle times of zinc alloys, aluminum alloys and plastic materials.

Table 2 – Typical production speeds and Broad production speed range for zinc, aluminum and plastic materials 

CASE STUDY N.1

Bruschi produces several components for coffee machines. In this specific case a client has contacted Bruschi to realize a cup holder tray for a coffee machine. The tray has been entirely realized in zinc and completely chromed. The entire surface of the component is considered aesthetical surface because the exterior is visible to the user’s eye and the interior becomes visible when the consumer removes the plastic cover and has access to the internal part of the tray to clean it.

The chrome process is composed of preliminary phases for the piece preparation. Particularly, the component has to be cleaned and polished through the use of rollers, tapes and scraping material. It is necessary to clean the internal part of the component too. For this reason Bruschi has conceived some alterations to the technological process that have allowed the achievement of an equivalent result.

Bruschi managed to solve the problem and produced a cup holder tray made of ZAMAK, externally and internally chromed.

CASE STUDY N.2

In this second case a client has requested to Bruschi the production of chromed handles for coffee machines. The complexity of realizing this component lied in its layout, in productivity and in the superficial quality. The handle was a particularly critical component because the standard mold cavities layout did not allow achieving the performance and costs level demanded by the client. Thanks to the experience and the expertise of Bruschi’s designers, Bruschi has conceived an alternative method to supply the mold. Designers have thus created a new mold that was compliant with the criteria demanded. Thanks to the new layout costs and performance levels have reduced.

In conclusion, the use of zinc for the production of coffee machines components generates remarkable advantages. By preferring the employ of zinc it is possible to design and create a functional and aesthetical product, able to combine design freedom and high-end aesthetical treatments, together with a proper balance between costs and production levels.

To get updates on trends and innovations in the Zinc Die Casting industry, you are welcome to subscribe to our blog.

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As the Journal of Industrial Engineering International reports, customers are more and more calling for environment-friendly products and this demand puts pressure on the whole supply chain, because it involves manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and customers. The latter are asking for a greener supply chain that promotes environmental protection and, at the same time, are also developing a well-defined purchasing behavior, which avoids unsustainable products and services. Businesses are therefore studying new methods in order to reach green supply chain management (GSCM), the integration of environmental issues and supply chain that results in reducing manufacturers’ impact on environment while enhancing an organization’s performance.

White goods recycling system

As far as white goods are concerned, emphasis is placed on their recycling cycle: manufacturers must therefore focus on materials. According to AHAM, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, household appliances are increasingly being recycled: they are overtaken only by automotive industry as a source of recycled materials. The growing interest towards recycling has allowed to achieve significant results in the household appliances industry, also thanks to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, specifically with the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program, which in 2017 has recycled almost 70 million pounds of ferrous metals, 4 million pounds of nonferrous metals, 17 pounds of plastic and 3 million pounds of glass. As data highlight, consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of recycling and are more and more adopting a responsible and sustainable purchasing behavior: white goods industry is therefore continuously renovating and appliances’ manufacturers must face new challenges that environmental consciousness generates, developing products with recyclable materials through sustainable processes.

Metals recycling

White goods are characterized by a long life cycle, normally 10 to 18 years, and when they are no more usable they provide a consistent amount of recycled materials, specifically metals. As stated by The Global Metal Waste and Recycling Market report, the most recycled metals are iron, steel, aluminum, copper, lead and zinc; in addition to that, the report indicates the leading recycling industries, which are building, automotive, shipbuilding and consumer appliances. Metals are among the main materials that undergo a recycling process: they are perfectly suitable for recycling, indeed metals are valuable, can be easily transported thanks to their density and, furthermore, they present properties that allow them to be recycled repeatedly. In the U.S. metal recyclers manage thereabouts 120 million tons of recycled metal every year, with the metal recycling industry having registered nearly $27 billion in 2018.

Zinc recyclability

White goods are complex machines composed of several elements and different materials, among which zinc represents an intelligent and recyclable choice. As a matter of fact, zinc has exceptional metallurgical and chemical properties that remain unchanged also after recycling process, making zinc a suitable material for a wide range of modern products, such as white goods and small appliances.

To calculate zinc recycling rates experts rely on two main methods: the End of Life (EoL) recycling rate and the Recycled Content. Usually EoL is preferred because it measures the quantity of available zinc recovered at the end of product life and recycled, whereas the Recycled Content approach considers the amount of recycled material in a given product. Recent analyses report that around 45% of zinc at the end of life is estimated to be recovered and recycled; in developed regions, such as Europe and North America, this percentage reaches 50%.

Typical Recycling Rate Indices

What is more, zinc not only is itself recyclable, but also contains numerous substances that are recyclable: this quality certifies zinc as Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C), a concept inspired by nature that promotes circular economy. According to this approach a product is designed already considering future reuse and, at the end of its life, it is seen as a new source instead of waste: materials and elements that compose the product are thus recovered and again inserted into the processing cycle.

Zinc benefits in white goods manufacturing

Taking into consideration customers’ request for quality products manufactured with sustainable practices, zinc constitutes an ideal material for white goods components. Indeed, zinc presents high recycling rates and excellent aesthetical quality, combining two of the most demanded characteristics by end-users. Highlighting zinc properties can therefore be an efficient promoting strategy, thus meeting customers’ expectations, providing environmental-friendly solutions and improving selling rates.

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Bruschi is a committed supporter of a service called co-design: a collaboration between customer and supplier that aims to obtain results which fully satisfy both sides. Client and supplier can thus exchange information and opinions, in order to focus on critical issues, technical characteristics and requested quality of the product. This service is fundamental to create a product compliant with the manufacturing process, technical functionalities and aesthetical characteristics that satisfy both costumer and supplier. The coexistence of functional and aesthetic features in a single product has always represented a central concern for Bruschi, which has led to the conception of the business philosophy of functional beauty. According to this philosophy, a product is composed of functional elements and aesthetic characteristics that coexist and influence each other.

The intersection of co-design and functional beauty, together with its engineers’ expertise and manufacturing processes, allowed Bruschi to produce Nespresso KitchenAid Artisan 5KES0503, a design coffee machine which led the company to the victory of the prestigious European Zinc Die Casting Competition for design in 2016.

CO-DESIGN

As previously stated, co-design is a collaboration between client and die casting supplier and it is fundamental to obtain a product that can satisfy technical requirements of functionality and be at the same time in compliance with the process of die casting. This kind of approach is strictly related to the partnership between supplier and customer: co-design makes it possible to analyze every detail of product design and process design in depth and it helps strengthening the cooperation day by day. By applying this approach, every stylistic excess and useless characteristic will be eliminated: once only functional part remains, it is possible to concentrate all the efforts on improving the appearance of the mechanical part, granting eye-catching products. This method helps to improve the production process, to cut costs and to have beautiful products fitting the theory of functional beauty.

FUNCTIONAL BEAUTY

According to Bruschi, functional beauty is based on the removal of needless details while focusing on enhancing the aesthetic qualities of the remaining functional parts. The coexistence of aesthetics and performance is the core of functional beauty: a cosmetic requirement can therefore become a functional advantage and vice versa. These theories come to life through the collaboration between Bruschi and Kitchen Aid, thanks to the common efforts on the choices of alloy and shapes of the covers, on the way to reduce weight and on the surface finishing with the idea of reducing the useless parts and to improve aesthetically the functional parts.

THE CASE OF NESPRESSO KITCHENAID ARTISAN

Zinc is the ideal material to deliver this concept, since it can be used to obtain both strictly functional components and highly aesthetical external parts, and everything between these two extremes. This adaptability of the material is best perceived in our ZAMAK housing for Nespresso KitchenAid Artisan. This designer coffee machine is composed of eight zinc pressure die cast parts, with weights between 2.2 kg and 75 g.

Bruschi collaboration with KitchenAid began with their idea of creating a new coffee machine characterized by stunning shapes and innovative finishing: the design included round and sinuous shapes that were to be enhanced by a bright red powder coating.

Surface finish was another focal point: the new design needed to catch the eye of consumers and the choice of KitchenAid signature color, also known as Bright Candy Apple red, would have guaranteed the result. However, the application of a powder coating would surely enhance every imperfection in surface finish.

CHOICE OF THE MATERIAL

During the co-design process, the first choice was what material to use to embody the philosophy of functional beauty: the selected alloy should have been apt to cast complex shapes and resist to the finishing and painting treatments required, in order to satisfy both functionality requirements and aesthetics of the product.

ZP5 was chosen over other materials for its excellent surface finish, strength, ability to cast very fine details and feel of quality at touch. The desired shapes would have been unachievable with other metals, since die casted zinc allows to create smaller draft angles, smaller and longer cored holes and thinner wall sections, while keeping the surface smooth.

This is an excellent example of how the functionality of the chosen alloy influences the beauty of the product: the creativity of designers would have been limited by material functionality and mechanical characteristics, preventing them from the creation of bold, innovative designs.

NO MACHINING

As the main goal was to achieve an ideally smooth surface, Bruschi team worked together with KitchenAid designers to create a beautiful design, with minimum machining and assembly work. Through a deep analysis of tolerances and shapes in joint positions, all of the eight parts were casted with no further need for machining operations. A study of draft angles of matching parts allowed to avoid any further operation in assembly process, granting the aesthetical continuity KitchenAid designers were aiming for: casting tolerances of 0.05mm between assembly holes were achieved, requiring no further adjustment during assembly and almost no secondary operations.

Furthermore, this purely cosmetic quality resulted in two functional advantages: the reduced machining brought cost reduction in the component production and the compatibility of the parts became a quick quality control, since it allows to instantly recognize deformed or defected casts.

SURFACE FLATNESS

The last challenge concerned surface flatness: these difficulties were overcome through a close collaboration between Bruschi team and KitchenAid technicians. Defining together the criticalities helped in finding the best way to deal with them from design phase, avoiding mistakes in prototyping and reducing scraps.

In order to obtain the necessary surface quality the internal structure of the die cast should have been excellent and free of porosity, since during powder coating process the castings are heated up to around 200° C. In addition, the extractors and injection points must have been placed on the internal side of the component, to avoid leaving traces on the external surface.

For this reason, the right position of injection point and overflows were designed with MAGMASOFT, to guarantee the correct filling of the cavity while avoiding air entrapping and undesired porosity. The use of a simulation software to determine the positioning of extractors and injection point granted the right filling without leaving any marks on the surface.

To further reduce the risk of air trappings, Bruschi applied under vacuum die-casting: the use of vacuum valve allows the production of castings with no problem of blistering or bubble creation, resulting in a close to zero reject rate.

All of these efforts payed off: at the end of thermal curing of the powder coating, flatness of the surface was still within a tolerance of 0.3mm. An amazing result that is additionally enhanced by the luster of the final red varnish.

KITCHEN AID ENDORSEMENT

At the end of cooperation with Bruschi, Darrin Keiser – Kitchen Aid Small Appliances Global Senior Quality Manager – was satisfied and impressed with the result and declared: “My experience with Bruschi has been a very gratifying journey. From the early days of the project where we had to choose a supplier with highly capable people, methods and manufacturing process, it was clear to me that Bruschi was a winning choice. Its team is committed to the high quality expectation our brand is associated with.”

To get updates on trends and innovations in the Zinc Die Casting industry, you are welcome to subscribe to our blog.

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Coffee machines cover or their functional and aesthetical components can be the variable for differential advantage: to produce items able to be different from other products and stand out from competitors.

Normally these kind of parts are made in plastic. However by using metal, in particular zinc because its production cost is similar to plastic, it is possible to improve the perceived value for end users and customers.

This approach involves research, development and design to create innovative ideas.

But this can be the difference. This can be the differential advantage.

Zinc vs plastic in coffee machine industry

In terms of end user, regarding differential advantage for coffee machine industry, using metal instead of plastic can help to improve the sense of touch feeling and help to define the first impact decision in a potential customer. This perceived high quality meet consumer expectations and it is necessary for product differentiation.

Wondering which metal to use our suggestion is zinc. In fact, one of the most important benefit of zinc is its accuracy, in fact zinc alloys allow closer tolerances than any other metal or molded plastic: a feature very useful in terms of differential advantage.

In technical terms using zinc in die casting can lead to many different advantages. In fact zinc alloys are stronger, tougher, more rigid and have the perfect amount of economical castability if compared to plastic. In addition, zinc has many benefits such as resistance, versatility and respect of environment: it produces low levels of emissions in air or water, its production waste is recyclable and energy consumption is low. Moreover zinc alloys castings are stiffer than plastic. Only special kind of plastic (such as glass fiber reinforced polymers) can be as stiff as zinc alloy, but in this case the process will be too expensive compared to zinc. Zinc will allow a saving in economic terms.

The role of Co-Design

In Bruschi, for over 70 years in the field of zinc die casting, we develop parts for coffee machine industry: focusing our efforts on co-design to produce different components to give a competitive advantage to our client.

In fact zinc die casting can allow better precision, higher corrosion resistance, stunning finishing, advanced tolerances achievable and lower tool and process costs and, above all, allows innovative geometry and shapes for functional parts.

These features allow us to help our clients about design. Normally they send us drawings and then we work together by collaborating, in co-design terms, to get the better outcome for end users.

The case of KitchenAid Artisan

The collaboration between Bruschi and KitchenAid was focused on the surface quality. To get the requested results Bruschi analized with simulation software, in particular MAGMASOFT®, the whole cover to minimize risks and develop a mass production process in order to reach customer’s needs.

Thanks to simulation and to strict cooperation with KitchenAid on drawings, we have designed production processes that help us also nowadays to produce exactly what the customer need.

The work we have done on this project has contributed to our victory at the prestigious European Zinc Die Casting Award promoted by International Zinc Association (IZA) and, thanks to this award, we became a case study on IZA Website.

About this collaboration KitchenAid Small Appliance Global Senior Quality Manager Darrin Keiser said: “My experience with Bruschi has been a very gratifying journey. From the early days of the project where we had to choose a supplier with highly capable people, methods and manufacturing process, it was clear to me that Bruschi was a winning choice. Its team is committed to the high quality expectation our brand is associated with.”

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In fact old coffee makers are just countertop appliances which make hot coffee, while smart coffee makers are automatic machines which brew coffee automatically through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, operating by using smartphone apps. Due to this technology smart coffee maker can be activated with remote controlling through smart connectivity.

In according to Tecnavio market research, global smart coffee maker market is in constant development: in particular, in Europe, small electric appliances market grew extremely in 2016 and industry trends will grow up in next future.

These increasing trends will be consolidated in according to customers’ habits: in fact this market is expected to grow of around 39% by 2021. The most important reason of that is progress technology, such as remote access convenience and a growing demand for automatic coffee maker.

As said before key points of this development is an increased convenience, connection, improving living standards which lead to switch from semi-automatic to smart coffee makers.

Click here for research: http://www.technavio.com/report/global-general-retail-goods-and-services-global-smart-coffee-maker-market-2017-2021

Implementing use of zinc for coffee maker parts

Why using zinc for die casting?

In general terms using zinc in die casting can lead to many different advantages. In fact zinc alloys are stronger, tougher, more rigid and have the perfect amount of economical castability if compared to other materials such as aluminum, magnesium, bronze and plastic. In addition it is important to say that zinc has many benefits such as resistance, versatility and respect of environment: it produces low levels of emissions in air or water, its production waste is recyclable and energy consumption is low.

However probably the most important zinc advantage is allowing designers to obtain a better product outcome, in terms of design and finishing, with saving in costs and time terms.

Why use zinc to die cast smart coffee maker parts?

As said before, using zinc for smart coffee maker parts allows designer to obtain products with high aesthetic quality due to zinc advantage of getting different quality finishes, maintaining functional levels.

In particular regarding smart coffee maker parts, zinc can be suitable thanks to:

• High aesthetic level reachable – Design
• Higher quality perception of coffee machine user – Finishing
• Raw material costs and process cost – Saving

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High aesthetic level reachable – Design

In terms of design, zinc allows specialists to create innovative shapes thanks to the possibility to obtain thinner wall sections, smaller draft angles and smaller cored holes. This process allows designers to obtain better products which reaches clients’ requirements.

Higher quality perception of coffee machine user – Finishing

In order to obtain full end user satisfaction designers have to work on aesthetic side of products. Working on finishing is possible to achieve every desired aesthetic quality: for example interest in feeling touch concept is the new future trend.

Raw material costs and process cost – Saving

In order to obtain saving is possible to work on different aspects:

• Zinc tools have longer life: zinc melting point is lower than aluminum one, in fact aluminum melts at higher temperature and this affects moulds and tools
• Casting process costs: this can be seen in two different terms: economic and time. In economic terms is due to zinc lower melting point, for this reason energy consumption is lower. In time terms because using HPDC zinc has a shorter time cycle than aluminum which uses cold chamber system that implies a longer time cycle.

And for which parts?

It is not mandatory to use zinc die casting to create entirely smart coffee makers, in fact is possible to create only end user components, getting an important aesthetic goal.

Smart coffee maker applications for zinc include:

• Handler
• Side plates
• Cups support
• Cover
• Keypads
• Display housing
• Program buttons

Above are listed the main zinc application parts, but sometimes is possible to produce a coffee machine entirely with zinc die casting: this allows even higher quality level and clients are more satisfied of what they perceive.

Smart coffee maker in the next future

Nowadays, people have renewed their interest in feeling touch. Feeling touch is a new trend developed in the past few years which is related to different feelings that people perceive touching something smooth like metal differently than plastic.

This trend emerged into smartphones, building industry and small home appliances sectors and is related to aesthetic side of product in addition to end users perception of them.

Using zinc to create smart coffee makers can be a benefit related to the last trends, taking advantages of zinc properties such as its ductility and chance to create complex and difficult morphology shapes but, at the same time, obtaining better results than with any other metal.

Summarizing is possible to take advantage of zinc benefits to create suitable components for smart coffee makers: zinc allows to obtain unconventional shapes, strict tolerances for electric circuits and to create better finishing for feeling touch components.

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