Coffee Technology S.r.l. is a metalworking company specializing in the design and manufacture of coffee grinders for domestic and professional use.

The “design” process, if it can be defined as such, consists of a series of iterations aimed at verifying whether the modification/improvement made to the product (modification/improvement based on the experience of technicians) produces the desired results. This process, by its very nature, involves a very high cost in terms of money, time, materials, and company resources in order to achieve the objective.In the coffee grinder sector, whether for domestic or professional use, there are no (according to the experience and knowledge that Coffee Technology S.r.l. has in the coffee grinder sector and in relation to its competitors) scientific/mathematical solutions capable of supporting operators in the sector in the design of these components without having to resort to extensive testing of particle size (size and distribution of particles generated by the process) and flow rate.

The “design” process, if it can be defined as such, consists of a series of iterations aimed at verifying whether the modification/improvement made to the product (modification/improvement based on the experience of technicians) produces the desired results. This process, by its very nature, involves very high costs in terms of money, time, materials, and company resources in order to achieve the objective.

Thanks to the collaboration with MADE4.0 and the Politecnico di Milano, it was possible to develop a plan with a scientific/mathematical approach to the problem defined above. This plan can be summarized in the following three points.

Definition of the chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics of coffee beans through laboratory testing and the collection of information from scientific journals in the field.

Mathematical modeling based on finite element methods (FEM) and discrete methods (DEM) in order to create a “Digital Twin,” a tool capable of predicting product performance with the aim of reducing/eliminating the resources required for laboratory testing.

Use of DoE procedure according to Taguchi method to identify the set of processes capable of delivering a significant increase in performance in terms of resistance, wear, and friction.

Significant reduction in economic, material, and physical resource costs for performing laboratory tests.

Reduction in product time to market.

Communication to the customer of the scientific approach used, in order to enhance the company’s image in the sector, from a company with an “artisan” imprint to a company with scientific and mathematical knowledge.