The prize was awarded during the second annual Zinc Die Casting Conference in Chicago from June 5-7, 2023.

This event was organized by the International Zinc Association (IZA) in collaboration with the Zinc Die Casting Steering Committee, supported by the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA). The competition saw the participation of zinc die-casting experts from all over the world, who presented pieces made of die-cast zinc that stood out for their design, quality, ingenuity, economy, and innovation. Bruschi has proved to be a leading player in this sector.

Bruschi entered the competition with a ring-shaped loudspeaker magnet support in zinc alloy which acts as a cage for the internal magnetic circuit. The creation of the piece posed significant challenges in terms of mold construction and process management, which required high competence and precision due to the very thin walls and ribs and the high aesthetic requirements of the visible part.

In close collaboration with the customer ASK, the Bruschi technical team has successfully overcome numerous critical issues, thus taking a further step forward in the technological improvement of the die-casting process.

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Zinc is not only a metal used for die casting: first of all it is a natural occurring element that is essential for life and it is considered a “Life Saving Commodity” by the United Nations. Zinc indeed plays a fundamental role for our planet: it is vital for the natural development of biological processes of every living thing, such as cell division, protein synthesis, immune system and growth. It is therefore an essential element for life.

Furthermore zinc is highly recyclable, when it reaches the end of its life cycle it can indeed be recycled without losing any physical property, thus representing a new source of raw material. Approximatively 45% of available zinc at the end of life cycle is recovered and recycled; in Europe and in the United States this percentage reaches even 50%.

It is exactly this characteristic that is a key element for sustainability and development of a circular economy.

Zinc contributes to circular economy

Circular economy is an economic model based on waste reduction and on the development of a circular life cycle, at the end of which a product is no more considered a waste for disposal but is instead a new source of raw material. Zinc fits perfectly in this model: zinc life cycle indeed starts from mining, goes through refining process in order to be used in the modern society and ends with recycling stage at the end of its useful life. During this cycle zinc contributes in different ways to the well-being of our planet:

• It is highly recyclable, thus reducing need for new raw material and exploitation of natural resources

• It protects steel used for infrastructures and transport from corrosion extending the life cycle of steel products

• When used for coating steel it contributes to the reduction in CO₂ emissions

The countless areas of use of zinc and its excellent physical properties therefore confirm the great importance that zinc life cycle has for our planet. Here in Bruschi we are proud to use a highly sustainable material, essential for life and for the protection of the riches of our Earth.

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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.”

To get other info about that please contact us:

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Nespresso KitchenAid won an important prize

The Company and its projecwt have been published on IZA website as a casting case study.

This have been possible due to the excellent quality in powder coating finishing, dimensional stability, mould duration and almost no secondary operations.

The project has been carried out with a co-design activity along with the customer technical team and the final shape of parts has been properly designed in order to meet the final requirements.

Moreover, Bruschi technicians have used MAGMASOFT program for DFM study including filling simulation and thermal balancing simulation: all these activities have allowed to reach a correct thickness value.

Can be considered a plus that all the parts are die cast under vacuum: this system has been developed entirely in Bruschi since 1985 and is currently installed on all Bruschi machines. This system allows to obtain scrap rates close to zero.

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About Bruschi:

For over 70 years Bruschi has been working in industrial production in the field of zinc die casting. Over time Bruschi has distinguished itself for efficiency, accuracy, ability to listen its customers’ needs and its innovative drive in the design and technology.

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