Starbucks turns to Corilla to deliver a smooth finish

International Coffee House Chain, Starbucks has tasked Corilla Plastics to update an existing product in preparation for roll-out across the UK.

The product is a waste bin, which is a component part of a self-service console installed in garages and service stations. The project included a short production run of 120 units, but before manufacturing, required Corilla to modify the design based on tooling shipped from the USA.

The bin originally had a peened finish on the outer surface and while this was in keeping with the rest of the plastic parts that made up the console, in day-to-day use, the textured surface retained liquid drips and was harder to keep clean.

To solve the problem, Corilla worked with a toolmaker to refinish the interior of the mould, polishing out the peened surface to replace it with a smooth finish. The end result is a product which is easy to keep clean yet still looks in keeping with the rest of the console.

Les Loosemore, Technical Manager for Corilla said: “For a product such as this with a low volume run, rotational moulding is absolutely suited to the task in hand. In terms of moulding, while this was not a particularly challenging brief, getting the finish on the mould correct without a lot of back and forth was critical.”

Nick Turner, regional operations specialist UK of Starbucks added: “It’s been very easy working with Corilla and the outcome is a component that is totally fit for purpose. It’s been very satisfying to see the job finished to a high standard in a short period of time.”

The original enquiry for the project came via the British Plastics Federation (BPF).  As part of the BPF’s remit to promote the Plastic Industry, the Federation liaises between customers and potential suppliers to bring the two parties together.

In this instance, the BPF asked members of the Rotational Moulding Group to provide quotes and Corilla was the chosen supplier.