A New Alternative to Canned & Trucked Beverages

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Lavít approached us with a simple concept and set of goals, to make a system to provide a variety of flavored still water and sparkling beverage products that will be easy to use and healthy for both people (the drink) and the environment (the consumable capsule).

 

The ultimate goal was to create an alternative to trucked water and canned beverages. This new approach would need to add value, while reducing resources and waste.

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From conceptual to detailed design, Nexus focused on areas that were key factors to consumer usability. Simple access to sparkling water and flavored beverages was enhanced by the visual presentation of the dispenser and the logic flow behind the touch screen interface. The self-contained beverage dispensing system (including full refrigeration and on-board carbonation equipment) fits easily on a kitchen counter top. 

 

Particular focus went into a unique cold brew chamber mechanism design. Capsules are peeled open instead of pierced, allowing for quicker dissolution and delivery of its contents. Two-stage mixing allows a maximum amount of water to flush into the pod and beverage container, providing quick and effective dissolution of dry flavor material. The mechanized chamber changes the capsule’s position during the dispensing process, insuring efficient and clean delivery of a flavored drink. Nexus took the entire brewer mechanism from crude bread-board models to working prototypes, to fully detailed parts for manufacture.

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The capsule design facilitates ease of use, employing a symmetrical design that can be inserted in two directions. Capsules are ready for recycling immediately after use (no rinsing or disassembly). Another important aspect of the capsule design process was manufacturability. Working closely with the Swiss manufacturer, Nexus designed the capsule geometry to be constructed so that they could be made reliably in one pressing, lowering cost and manufacturing resources. All of these aspects make operation of the Lavít system a premium experience, with lower environmental impact. 

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While Nexus handled a majority of the design effort, we also maintained daily communication with Lavít’s international team. This effective virtual communication flow was essential to progress, with individuals and production resources located on three continents.

 

This effort concluded with successful documentation transfer to a series of Asian manufacturers.

 

The development of the Lavít drink making system was an exceptional opportunity for us to deliver on all aspects of the design process.

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To learn more about the Lavít please visit drinklavit.com