With a factory in Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil, Atilla supports entrepreneurs who make test laboratories for coffee roasting, coffee shops and small and medium sized specialty coffee roasters. The company is present in almost every state in Brazil, as well as other countries around the world.
Seeking to develop and modernize their products, Atilla has relied on ABB's knowledge and product portfolio to develop a solution that increases the reliability and productivity of their equipment.
Improving the quality of coffee roasting
In partnership with ABB, the equipment was modernized making it price competitive and technologically up-to-date. The customized application included visualizing and programming the ABB CP607 HMI to control the ACS380 variable speed drive (VSD) that performs pre-established functions for the roasting machine.
Thanks to this, it is now possible to control the processes of the air flow that enters the machine. The VSD also controls the rotational speed of the drum in which the coffee is roasted, and the intensity of the flames that heats up the roasting machine. Drum speed and heat intensity, together with the quality of the coffee beans, determine the complete quality of the roasting process. As a consequence, it determines the end quality of the coffee. ABB has also delivered power supply, contactors, push buttons and circuit breakers to Attila. This has ensured better synergy and robustness between the components in the roastery machine.
“The quality and recognition of ABB products has added value to the product, ensuring reliability for our customers,” says Mateus Emerick, commercial director at Atilla. "Another decisive factor in the partnership has been the knowledge and support provided by ABB's application and engineering team during the development stages of this project."
Attila has increased sales and has gained a greater market share due to the improvements by using ABB devices in the roasting machine. The robustness of the devices used has also reduced the need for maintenance.
"With the success of this development, Atilla already sees possibilities for new projects, that includes equipment such as PLC's, valves and other assets. It will help provide state-of-the-art equipment that is expected of a roaster for specialty coffees" Mateus concludes.