C2renew has created biocomposites for many different customers, across a lot of different industries but the c2cup is the first thing created 100% for us. When their co-founders thought about one of their favorite things - coffee- and brainstormed ideas on how to use coffee in new and innovative applications the idea of a coffee cup made from coffee sprouted and the c2cup was born.
Designing the c2cupOnce they decided they wanted to create the c2cup, they had to come up with a design that would work with pre-existing stainless steel inserts. So a lot of time was spent on Solidworks designing the c2cup until we finally arrived at a cup design that worked well.
To develop the cup, they created a new biocomposite formulation which is a hybridization of a bio-based resin and coffee waste. This coffee biomass not only results in a greener plastic, it also cuts down on cost while maintaining the desired mechanical properties.
To ensure that our material was well suited for the high temperatures of coffee and dishwashers, we moved away from using a composite meant for 3D printing. To prove their material would withstand everyday use they did extensive testing and developed sample plaques to show the mugs texture.
Once they had the biocomposite and cup design, they wanted to develop a proof of concept cup so they used our coffee biocomposite to make 3D printer filament and printed the 1st coffee cup.
After the success of our 3D printed cup they decided that an injection molding tool would be necessary if they wanted to produce a high quantity of c2cups. Since their last Kickstarter (aside from the continued materials development) they worked with a rapid injection molding company that specializes in molding smaller items. This allows them to have the lowest cup production cost and hopefully, with audience help, a successful Kickstarter so that they can begin producing c2cups for everyone.
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