WEENER Group Develops Instant-coffee-screw-cap

The special challenge here lies on the tricky mould release of the lids as the thread and half-ring to secure the cardboard disc often form a significant undercut depending on the customer’s design requirements.

Dec 20 2011 --- Some people just cannot get going in the morning without their much-loved cup of coffee. And those in a hurry often turn to instant coffee. Just bring some water to the boil and pour over the soluble powder – and your quick morning fix is ready to drink!

Coffee has become the trend beverage over the past few years. A wide range of different types and preparations are on offer. It seems soluble coffee products are enjoying increasing popularity here. Worldwide some 10 billion cups of this instant beverage are consumed per year – and it appears* this is a clear upward trend.

Instant coffee was invented in Chicago in 1901 by the Japanese scientist Satori Kato and was first produced industrially by Nestle as Nescafé in the 1930s. This coffee was first sold in little brown tins.

Nowadays, instant coffee is mainly sold in glass jars, sealed airtight with a film and a plastic lid. As is so often the case – here, too, something that looks quite unassuming at first glance is in fact a complex matter on closer scrutiny – a lid that is produced and assembled by WEENER using a great deal of know-how. 4, 8 and 12-cavity moulds are used in the manufacture of these screw caps.

The special challenge here lies on the tricky mould release of the lids as the thread and half-ring to secure the cardboard disc often form a significant undercut depending on the customer’s design requirements. This is where a collapsible core is used that makes even extreme undercuts possible. Thanks to this technology the sealing disc sits very tightly in the lid and makes for effective lid screwing. Obviously, the core is produced in the toolshop at WEENER’s main factory and is tailored exactly to specific requirements.

Furthermore, virtually uncompromised flexibility is provided in the design of threads.

The WEENER Group’s Russian subsidiary WP Russia has for years now been specialised in the production of coffee lids and has developed extensive expertise in this field. This means the St. Petersburg branch can realise the craziest lid shapes. A special gimmick, for instance, is a combination cap boasting functionality and stylish overhang – making it quick and economical to undertake short-term modifications in shape or to produce in small series.

Some lids are picked off the production line by robots. “On the one hand this prevents scratches and on the other it optimises smooth production,” explains Ansgar Schulte who looks after the Russian subsidiary and its projects on the project management side.

WEENER’s list of customers reads like a who’s who of international coffee firms: Kraft Foods, Orimi Trade, DEK and the brands Milagro, Chyornaya Karta and Ambassador as well as Monarch, Jardin and Jockey plus many more are WEENER’s partners in coffee.