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February 7, 2024 |
Author: Ben Smith |
Learn how Flexcraft’s in-house molds and tooling capabilities allowed them to not only help a local coffee roaster overcome efficiency issues, but also reduce costs.
Rook Coffee Roasters is a coffee chain located in Central NJ focused on quality, simplicity and experience. Rook Coffee approached Flexcraft searching for a partner to help them streamline processes. They had ideas, but needed help figuring out the specifics and making them reality.
Rook serves all ground and brewed-to-order coffees in a pour over style. Because of their focus on quality, Rook had been spending a lot of time measuring out their “cuppies” (aluminum cups containing pre-measured amounts of their coffee beans) to get the precise amount of beans according to roast variety and order size. This meant that for every cup sold, someone in the background was meticulously measuring out the precise amount of beans to get their desired taste.
Considering the client was having significant efficiency issues with their current process, they quickly needed to find a new way to simplify and streamline operations.
Rook wanted a way to make custom measuring cups, so that for each different style of coffee, someone could quickly take a scoop, dump it in the cuppies, and be able to prepare the dosages much more efficiently.
Armed with a 5 lb bag of each roast, Flexcraft went to work.
Working directly with the Rook team, Flexcraft developed and prototyped many concepts focusing on ergonomics, speed accuracy, and durability. We calculated the density of each roast, and then using our advanced SolidWorks software, we engineered the correct size scoop for each required amount of beans. We then used our 3D printer to make prototypes of each size to confirm each one worked as desired.
Once we ensured everything was correct we built the molds. Because of the large quantity of sizes available, the tooling could have gotten very expensive. However, we were able to leverage our extensive tooling background and expertise to design an interchangeable mold with multiple configurations using the same mold frame. This helped keep the project budget reasonable, and allowed Rook to bring their idea from concept to reality on time and on budget.
In addition to eliminating efficiency issues, Flexcraft also helped Rook Coffee decrease process costs, lower labor time, and improve quality.
As the molds were being built, Flexcraft worked with Rook to develop a color scheme that would allow employees to easily identify which scoop is required for each roast. This significantly decreased room for error and created a more efficient measuring system for the cuppies.
The end result of this molding and tooling project was an easy-to-use scoop with a custom leveling mechanism that sweeps away excess beans. This translates to consistent, high-quality cups of coffee ground fresh and brewed to the quality standards that Rook has built a reputation on.
