Obtaining a genuine product by using a fully custom-made heat-sensitive label according to requirements established by the customer. Achieving a useful and novel product at the same time.
Purpose: a leading appliance manufacturer was looking for a new advantage for its kettle ahead of its commercial launch in South America. The idea was for the kettle to somehow display the temperature of the water inside it. The aim was – with the minimum increase in the product's cost – to improve the previous model by offering a new feature, a differentiating characteristic compared to the competition. The purpose, of course, was to surprise and attract future buyers.
Sensor used: custom self-adhesive reversible strip “3-LEVEL-POT”.
Work carried out: the customer was looking for a thermometric strip for a kettle designed for drinking mate, as economical as possible but highly reliable.
A liquid-crystal indicator printed on self-adhesive paper was designed so that it could be stuck on the curved body of the kettle. The aim was for this sensor to be easily visible and understandable, so 3 simple, clear symbols were associated with 3 clearly differentiated temperature ranges relating to cold, hot and “ideal temperature”. The following temperature ranges and associated symbols were finally chosen:
- Range 1: snowflake / LOW TEMPERATURE: 25-44ºC
- Range 2 or ideal: mate / IDEAL TEMPERATURE: 45-55ºC
- Range 3: sun / EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURE: 56-76ºC
The liquid crystal shows the actual temperature in green on black, so that the moment one of the events turns green, we know the temperature of the water inside.
You should wait until the “green-lit” event is the central one and then you can pour the water to prepare your mate or tea at the ideal temperature.
This strip began to be implemented in 2006 for kettles used in preparing mate, but its use has been extended to preparing tea and other infusions. It has been used in the manufacture of hundreds of thousands of electric kettles in Argentina, Hong Kong and Poland.
