Graduate helps revive century-old coffee roaster

The Uno 7lb roaster was originally built in London in 1919, and was salvaged by Ian Steel from Lewis’s department store in Liverpool when it closed in 2010.

“The Uno is an amazing elegant piece of design, including a beautiful A-frame and a drum and it roasts the most amazing coffee,” said Ian, who owns J Atkins and Co coffee roasters in Lancaster.

However, it soon became apparent that the machine was not in working condition. In an effort to restore it to its former glory, Ian contacted Lancaster University’s Product Development Unit, which provides engineering support to small businesses.

Despite not having any original drawings, Craig McAlister, an engineering graduate currently studying for an MSc at Lancaster, was able to identify and redesign the missing parts, as well as address technical and maintenance issues.

“There were broken parts which we were able to do 3D models of fairly easily, but then there were parts completely missing – such as a clutch control handle, a drum tap and pulley wheel, and a pulley system for the belt drive,” said Craig.