Moisture Prevention

Our client was approached by a large multi-national company with a well-known problem relating to powdered hot drinks dispense, steam congeals and clogs the exposed powder.

The current technology conveys powder from small hoppers via an auger driven by an electric motor. The powder is dropped into an open mixing chamber where water, at close to 100°C, is mixed with the powder to form the drink prior to dispense. A small amount of steam rises from the mixing chambers over the exit nozzle - where it causes the powder to become damp which can lead to the formation of a sticky residue – negatively impacting on the appearance, performance, and ultimately the operation of the device. Obviously the client wanted to identify ways of preventing this problem occurring.

After some background research into ways this type of problem has been tackled in the past, a single brainstorming session at the client’s site helped identify several potential solutions. Schematic sketches and ‘early-stage’ CAD models were used to assist the development team in focusing down on two concepts for design realisation.

After two internal design workshops and reviews, the CAD models were ready for the tank(Rapid Prototyping). One of the most advanced rapid prototyping materials currently available was used to produce robust functional parts, taking just 24 hours from final data to in-house assembly!

Once the designs had been fully tested, a video stream of the working prototypes was sent to the client for final approval prior to delivery.