Bianchi Industry, a manufacturer of professional coffee machines and vending systems, has selected a sustainable mechanically recycled ABS material from ELIX Polymers for various components of its vending machines. The decision was the result of technical collaboration between ELIX Polymers, its Italian distribution partner Mito Polimeri, and Bianchi Industry. The work focused on achieving an optimal balance between mechanical properties, surface quality and processing characteristics, as well as reducing the carbon footprint. The selected grade, ELIX ABS E-Loop P2H-AT MR, is characterised by high flowability, which translates into good processability, and a high-quality surface finish. Thanks to a formulation containing recycled raw materials and antistatic properties, the material is suitable for both visible and mechanical parts in the consumer goods sector.
According to the company, the carbon footprint of this material can be 36 percent lower than that of the traditional fossil-based ELIX ABS P2H-AT grade. Under its E-Loop brand, ELIX Polymers is also developing other products with lower environmental impact, including mechanically recycled ABS, ABS/PC blends, and products based on certified raw materials under ISCC+ certification that include circular and bio-based feedstocks. For Bianchi Industry, circularity and energy efficiency are central to product development. The company uses certified Life Cycle Assessment, LCA, tools to analyse environmental impact across the entire lifecycle of each machine. The analysis indicates that raw materials and energy consumption are the main contributors, prompting the company to look for materials with lower environmental impact without compromising performance or process stability.
Francesco Trapletti, Sustainability Manager, Purchasing Director and Technical Director at Bianchi Industry, emphasises: "Our ambition is to integrate environmental sustainability into a long-term strategy that remains economically viable. Together with ELIX Polymers and Mito Polimeri, we identified a circular ABS solution capable of reducing our carbon footprint while maintaining full compatibility with our existing tooling and production processes."
Material validation in a structural application
Bianchi Industry carried out an extensive validation programme for E-Loop MR in one of the heaviest structural components of its machines, a 3 kg snack and food drawer. This part must withstand repetitive mechanical loads during operation. According to the company, full 1:1 compatibility was achieved with the existing moulds and processing parameters. Stable moulding performance and very good dimensional consistency were also reported.
- 1:1 compatibility with existing moulds and processing parameters,
- stable moulding and very good dimensional consistency,
- successful endurance testing covering more than 50,000 insertion and extraction cycles,
- six-month field validation in real operating conditions.
The results indicate that recycled ABS can also be used in demanding structural components of vending machines without the need to modify existing tooling or process settings. From the perspective of plastics processors and equipment manufacturers, this means the possibility of implementing a lower-carbon-footprint material while maintaining production stability and the expected performance of the finished product.
