Italian coffee giants Brambati S.p.A and Lavazza have joined forces for a next-level project thanks to Brambati’s commitment to technical innovation and flexible solutions.
When Italian coffee roaster Lavazza was looking for a roasting manufacturer to help expand its existing plant in Torino, it looked no further than the neighbouring company it had collaborated with over the past eight years.
Brambati S.p.A was the chosen one, commissioned to provide three of its latest generation BR 6000 advanced specialty roasters, along with complete plant engineering.
“The fully automated BR 6000 gives Lavazza complete control over the roasting process, with the ability to adapt the roast profile to alter specific characteristics and flavour highlights,” says Brambati President, Fabrizio Brambati.
“Lavazza has a lot of tools to work with, both during the roasting process and the analysis phase, to understand which parameters require adjustments to increase the quality of the final product. This fine-tuning can be performed in real-time during or after the roasting process.”
Fabrizio says the installation process of the machinery will take approximately six months.
“All the machines will be pre-commissioned in our premises before delivery and all dimensions double checked and verified through laser scanning and 3D lay-out, to ensure the roasters are installed smoothly,” he says.
“Every installation is a challenge, but as long as the machinery is pre-verified, we expect a smooth installation.”
Fabrizio says because the project was arranged with accurate timeframes and adequate resources, both companies are prepared to face any eventual issues connected to the supply chain.
“We are extremely satisfied that this commitment has been recognised by a major company such as Lavazza, which has achieved the excellence known to consumers worldwide, thanks to its use of high-quality raw materials and the utmost attention to production processes,” says Fabrizio.
Brambati’s partnership with Lavazza began in 2014 and has continued with multiple collaborations aimed at modernising the plants of certain production sites of Lavazza Group.
“We have always had a great relationship with Lavazza. They’ve provided us with unlimited assistance and we really appreciate having a partner that listens to our ideas and takes our feedback on board,” says Fabrizio.
“We’re constantly learning from one another and having bonded with such an important company with great experience and knowledge, means a great deal to Brambati.”
Fabrizio says the consistency of Brambati’s roasting equipment and highly advanced technology has proven itself the ideal fit for the global coffee roaster’s latest expansion project.
“We take pride in our products being adaptable and reliable. We know Lavazza is a company that works tirelessly to ensure its roasting equipment guarantees the same results 24 hours a day, and through our control systems and advanced software, it’s easy to ensure everything runs smoothly,” Fabrizio says.
“The machinery is very reliable and highly efficient. We have improved accessibility to all points of the machines to ensure fast maintenance.”
Each roaster is capable of producing 600 kilograms of coffee per batch and up to five batches per hour, equating to three tonnes of green coffee per hour. This volume will go a long way in aiding Lavazza to serve more than 30 billion cups of coffee consumed globally each year.
Brambati is also assisting Lavazza with plant engineering relating to the expansion of its existing green coffee and roasted coffee plant. The green plant will increase its storage capacity with the addition of conveyor lines for increased flexibility.
The roasted coffee plant expansion will include product dosing and control systems, with different types of pneumatic, mechanical and disc conveyors and storage section.
“The installation of highly automated systems allows for real-time control of all elements of the production process,” says Fabrizio.
“With the number of safety controls the roasting machinery has, we can guarantee any possible problem is monitored before it happens. If you were to run into an issue, operators are on hand at all hours of the day to intervene and fix an issue immediately.”
Brambati was confirmed as the roaster of choice after a number of trials and machines tests, and an evaluation of the company from a corporate point of view.
This included Brambati’s financial reliability, corporate welfare, and understanding of the need to implement systems with the ability to preserve the environment and reduce its environmental impact, which is of great importance to Lavazza.
It passed with flying colours, noted for its energy saving equipment and process tolerability.
“All the technology utilised is targeted to guarantee maximum efficiency in terms of consumptions and lower emissions,” says Fabrizio.
“For example, the roasting equipment has hot air recycling capabilities, which reuses much of the heat created in the roasting process without penalising the quality but reducing power needs and emissions considerably.”
Brambati also offers modulating afterburners. These burners work in conjunction with roasting equipment, and automatically adjust their power levels based on roasting activities, while reducing emissions and odours created during the roasting process.
“These afterburners only work to the level that is required. Because various phases of the roasting process produce different levels of exhaust, these burners ‘speak’ with the roasting equipment, to limit energy usage and maintain high efficiency,” says Fabrizio.
He adds that the afterburners, paired with a catalytic converter, a device that reduces gases generated by the roasting process, have showed Lavazza how committed the company is to reduce its environmental footprint.
“High technology, reliability and attention to environmental impact are the values that led us to choose Brambati as a partner for this project to expand our production plants. Lavazza seeks excellence on every level, from the selection of the coffee to the cup,” says Chief Operations Officer of Lavazza Eleuterio Quagliarini in a press statement.
Fabrizio says one of the key strengths of Brambati lies in its capacity to listen, differentiate proposals and develop solutions based on the specific needs of customers.
“Our customers have always been taken care of, even remotely. We have organised remote webinars for companies all over the world, and we make extensive use of virtual commissioning,” he says.
“Our technicians are able to carry out tests and train operators online abroad to ensure the continuity of our high-quality standards, a crucial aspect for a company that produces more than 30 tonnes of coffee every hour, 24 hours a day.”
Once the project is completed, Fabrizio says it will be a celebration of two Italian companies both committed to coffee excellence – in processing and the cup.
“After working with Lavazza for many years, we believe this strategic partnership has benefited everyone, from our companies to our consumers. Our hope after every expansion project is that it will be followed by other expansion projects, to further grow both companies,” says Fabrizio.
For more information, visit www.brambati.it or www.lavazza.com.au
This article appears in the April 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.