Craftworks developed a milkshake machine for a joint venture which included Danone. This product has since been marketed under the name Marcey’s. The project is a beautiful example of how we possess all the skills for in house product development, support for the manufacturer, and product launch.
To develop the milkshake machine concept, we began by asking how you prepare a milkshake. What ingredients go into a milkshake, in what order do you add them, and how do you make certain that the shake is cold, fruity and tastes good? And once you’ve got that: how can you make certain that you can keep such a machine clean?
During the technical development phase, we came up with answers to a number of crucial questions. How can you store the various products in a single machine? How do you mix the ingredients to create a tasty milkshake with consistent quality? How does the cup handling work, as well as the straw dispenser?
Early on, during the concept phase, we decided that all the processes should occur in the cup from which the consumer would be drinking. Including the freezing of the milkshake. For that, Craftworks developed a patented system that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the drink.
For a vending machine, hygiene is of the utmost importance, and especially when fresh products are prepared in the machine. For our dispenser we developed a custom CIP (clean-in-pace) technology that makes it possible for the system to clean itself – a development that had previously only been applied on an industrial scale.
At the conclusion of the development process, we integrated all of the components – mechanical, electrical, electronic and software – into a prototype. The result was a fully operational market test machine that only differed from the actual production model in the fine details.
Finally, in order to give the actual manufacturer the capabilities to industrialise production of the machine, Craftworks engaged in an intensive exercise in knowledge transfer. That has resulted in a very fruitful cooperation relationship between Craftworks and this German producer.
