When Conveying Coffee Becomes Part of the Experience :
A Merlo Coffee x Flexicon Case Study
Flexicon South Africa champions solutions that not only perform reliably but also capture the imagination of customers. A compelling example is the flagship café of Merlo Coffee in Brisbane, Australia, where freshly roasted beans are visually conveyed through transparent tubing from roaster to counter – transforming material handling into a marketing statement.
The Objective
Merlo Coffee, with over 17 cafés which supply more than 1500 restaurants in Australia, wanted its flagship location to do more than roast beans behind closed doors. They aimed to let customers see the journey of their coffee from roaster to cup, making freshness and transparency part of the brand experience.
Their vision: beans traveling through clear tubes, visible to café patrons, arriving directly to a grinder or packaging line. But coffee beans are fragile (especially post-roasting) and susceptible to breakage or contamination. The conveying system had to be gentle, enclosed, and capable of traversing walls, ceilings, bends – all while being quiet and reliable.
The Flexicon Solution
Flexicon (Australia) worked hand-in-hand with Merlo to turn a sketch and concept into a fully engineered conveying system. The solution: FLEXI-DISC® Tubular Cable Conveyor (TCC) running through polycarbonate and stainless-steel tubing.
Key features:
- Gentle handling: Low-friction polymer discs on a stainless cable slide beans without damage or cracking.
- Flexible routing: Tubing can be routed horizontally, vertically or at any angle; the Merlo system used ~50 m of tubing with bends and multiple discharge points.
- Enclosed system: Prevents contamination and limits noise.
- Multiple discharge valves: Enables beans to be diverted to the grinder or sent onward to packing.
- After-sales support: Flexicon guided Merlo through the first servicing, checked system performance, and stayed on hand for support.
Outcomes & Benefits:
- Customer Engagement & Branding
As soon as customers enter the café, they see beans in motion – a visceral statement of freshness and craftsmanship. This visible conveying reinforces brand trust and sets Merlo apart. - Product Integrity
Beans travel with minimal breakage or dust generation thanks to the gentle conveying method and enclosed design. - Flexibility & Scalability
The system’s modular nature means it can be adapted as production or layout changes. Multiple inlets, outlets, and path configurations are possible. - Return on Investment & Support
Merlo described the investment as substantial, but the returns and benefits justified it. They also emphasised the importance of Flexicon’s after-sales support in ensuring seamless operation.
Flexicon SA
If you’re considering a bold, visual, or delicate-material conveying solution in South Africa – whether for coffee, snacks, powders, or other fragile goods – we want to work with you.
- Differentiation in retail – creating experiential value can help brands stand out.
- Delicate material handling – many products (coffee beans, nuts, snacks, fragile powders) need conveying systems that minimize damage, dust, contamination.
- End-to-end solutions – Flexicon SA can deliver not just conveyors, but turnkey design, installation, and service support.
- Visual storytelling – systems like the TCC become part of your brand narrative when customers can see the product journey.
Contact Flexicon South Africa to discuss your vision, sketch, or concept, and we’ll help engineer it into reality.