Making Vending Machine

From a simple single penny beginning, vending operations in the United States has evolved into a $ 36.6 billion industry. Canned cold drinks industry is the top seller in 1999, posting $ 15.7 billion in sales and accounting for 42.9% of the gross sales volume of the industry. Packaged candy and snacks ranked second, with 19.7% of the industry and $ 7.2 billion in sales. More than 857,000 coin-operated vending machines are produced and shipped in 1999. More than half (477,102) were cooled soft drink vending unit cans and bottles.Sellers accounted for a significant portion of sales and profits bottling beverages and snacks maker. In 2000, vending machines generated 14% of total foodservice sales in places like college campuses, factories, businesses, hospitals, and schools. Bottling paying colleges, schools, and institutions of millions of dollars for exclusive rights to place vending machines on college campuses. Vended soft drink sales may only represent 15% of total annual sales of the bottles, but the same volume can easily be explained half of their annual profits.HistoryVending machine was first documented date of about 215 BC, when Hero mathematician find a device that receives and bronze coins issued holy water in temples of Alexandria, Egypt. In 1076, China developed vendor inventor coin-operated pencil. Coin-activated tobacco box appears at the bar the UK during 1700.The U.S. government began granting patents for coin operated vendors in 1896. However, it was not until the year 1888 that the seller is a viable market in the United States. In that year, Adams Gum Company develops gum machines are placed high on the train platform in all of New York City. The machines dispensed mixed fruit slice candy for a penny.In 1926, William Rowe discovered that cigarette vending machines from trend merchandise at a higher price, including soft drinks and candy nickel-engine developed during the late 1920s and the 1930s. Vendor coffee was developed in 1946, and the cooled bread vendor followed in 1950. In 1984, Automatic Products International, Ltd. (API) introduced a vending machine that ground and brewed fresh coffee beans.Practically anything that can be vended, has at one time or another. The first beverage vendors, dates to 1890 in Paris, France, offers beer, wine, and liquor. Items that have been found in vending machines include clothing, flowers, milk, cigars and cigarettes, stamps, condoms, cologne, baseball cards, books, live bait for fishing, comic books, tapes and CDs, lottery tickets, and a camera and film. Some modern vending machines dispense hot food such as pizza, popcorn, and even french fries.Raw MaterialsVending machines that are built primarily of four main materials: galvanized steel, Lexan or other plastic, acrylic powder coatings and polyurethane insulation.Most of the machines built from galvanized steel ranging from 10 gauge to 22 gauge thickness. Thickness gauges are used for cabinets, doors external and internal tanks. Thinner gauges used for internal doors and plates, piles can, and mechanisms such as validators and coin tray products.Lexan, hard polycarbonate plastic, used in the front panel of the vending machine. Lexan sheet in vending machines typically range from 0.13 in (3.18 mm) to 0.25 in (6.35 mm) in thickness. Lexan is very difficult to break, fire resistance, is relatively easy to set up, and can be treated to limit UV rays, light, and heat transmission. Product logos, names and illustrations are silk-screened on a sheet of Lexan, which is installed in the line at the vending machine.Powder coatings are acrylic colored powder used to "paint" the surface of the vending machine. The powder is applied in a uniform layer and baked at the time of the manufacturing process. Acrylic coatings withstand the rigors of weather and abuse better than the paint is applied wet. In addition, the acrylic powder easier to meet government environmental standards.Polyurethane foam provides insulation to the inside of the vending machine. The foam is blown between the outside of the cabinet and internal tank engine, where the drug becomes extremely hard rigid material. In addition to thermal insulation, rigid foam adds structural stability of both the cabinet and tank engines.Some manufacturers, such as the Dixie-Narco, also makes a complicated electronic device used in vending machines, while others buy them pre-made and install them as part of the manufacturing process. These components include the bill validator and coin, board computer control, cooling units and lighting.DesignThe basic design of the vending machines starting with the cabinet, steel outer shell that holds all the internal components that determine the overall size and shape of the machine. Inside the cabinet is a layer called the steel in the tank. Tank and cabinet fit tightly, leaving enough space in-between to layers of polyurethane foam insulation. In combination, the tank and foam insulation helps keep the internal temperature of the product is stable and protect against extreme temperatures outside the cabinet. Though all products and delivery mechanisms contained in the cabinet, in the strictest sense, they actually mounted inside the tank.Outer surfaces are coated with a finished cabinet acrylic powder is baked into place. Powder coating allows the engine to withstand extreme temperatures, salt or sand, misuse by the customer, and other conditions that require high surface durability.To store and dispense the product, can pile feeder or tray feeder columns installed in the machine. Each tray is equipped with a large rotating spiral wire that holds the product. Feeder trays slide in and out of the machine for easy maintenance and restocking merchandise. Pile feeder and tray also contains motor control physically push the product forward until they are released from the pile and fell into the access area. When a customer selects the product, rotor rotation and advancement of the items, drop cans or bottles one by one. In the same way, spiral twist on snack tray and push products to the next until they fall off the tray.Some vending machines, cold drinks vendors particularly, has two doors. Internal door seals in the engine and provide additional insulation. Doors, exterior features electronic controls that allow customers to buy and receive goods. The outer door also includes signage and illustrations, usually printed onto a Lexan panel that matches the front panel door. Lighting for the front panel is generally mounted on the back panel of Lexan. The outer door includes a heavy duty latch, locks, hinges and to prevent theft and vandalism.Electronic components, such as coin and bill validator, coin and dollar bill scan tests that have been incorporated to ensure that the money is genuine and in the right amount. A panel control buttons allow customers to make their choice. The buttons are connected to the motor control pile feeder and tray, turn the rotor which releases the product into the trash. The change makers hold the number of coins and release the correct change after the choice has been made. Newer machines also include card validator to accept debit and credit cards, LCD panel with details of price and engine status information, and speech chip that provides details of the transaction for the customer voice.Design changes occur most frequently on the mechanisms for handling and removing a large number of different types of bottles, cans, boxes, bags, and other packages available on the market. When 20 oz (592 ml) plastic soda bottles were first introduced to the seller, they tend to be jammed in the machine. Designers have to go back to work the way the bottle is stored in the machine and delivered to the customer. Constant changes in product packaging has ensured that the designer should always look for practical ways and more efficient way to sell the product.ManufacturingProcessThe most popular type of vendor in the United States was canned soft drinks cold machine, which vends traditional 12 oz (355 ml) of aluminum cans of soda and soft drinks. Making cold drink vending machines can often be done in a few automatic, concurrently running assembly line that makes all components simultaneously. Manufacturing processes for vending machines can be as varied as the products dispensed in it.1. Cabinet is made of galvanized steel coil or coils. At the beginning of the assembly line, crude steel through automatic presses that flatten it and cut it into strips. Cabinets are made of two or more separate pieces.2. Pressing other then punching and grabbing the sheets. The process of creating a hole punched in the cabinet to bolts and fasteners, opening for electrical wiring, slit for ventilation and other openings as needed. Corners and edges of the curved steel sheets where necessary to accommodate the installation of the components in the cabinet finish.3. Steel sheet automatic entry and exit heavy duty air and hydraulic presses. Each press exerts 200-400 tons of power or more. Steel sheets lying as pressing obstacles edges, making bends in the metal, and steel into basic shapes forming the cabinet.4. Secured using resistance welding seams, also known as spot welding, a process that uses high voltage charge through two contact metal surfaces melt together.5. Finally, the cabinet removed from the line and taken to the finishing area to undergo a finishing powder and wait for the tank installation.6. While the cabinet is being made, another line forming tank. The tank is made by a process similar to that used to make the cabinet. Galvanized steel coil cut from raw materials and into automatic lines. Openings for bolts, pile feeder, motor, and other mechanisms that suppress the sheet, and the corners are notched so that the tank will fit inside the cabinet easier and safer after welded.7. Presses provide necessary forms and bent, and separate pieces welded together to make the unit as a whole.8. The tank is then taken to the finishing area, where it is fitted to the correct cabinet.9. Before finishing powder, the cabinet had eight pre-treatment stage. First, the cabinet is attached to an overhead conveyor that runs the cabinet 210 ft (64 m) through a pre-treatment system. Nozzle mounted on both sides of the tire as a whole spray cabinet at each stage, starting with alkaline wash to remove heavy soil surface.10. Mandi second base further clean the surface.11. Cabinet is then rinsed, coated with zinc phosphate, and rinsed again.12. Chromic acid, sealer, then applied and the surface rinsed again.13. Finally, the entire surface thoroughly rinsed with deionized (DI) water. The unit then goes into a drying oven for approximately 30 minutes to an hour at temperatures ranging from 350 ° F to 400 ° F
 
A typical vending machine stocked.A typical vending machine stocked.(177 ° C to 204 ° C) to ensure that no moisture is left on the surface.14. After leaving the drying oven, the cabinet remains on the overhead conveyor system which began the process of finishing powder. The process is "paint" the cabinet in various colors by applying acrylic powder coating on the surface of the cabinet and baking it in place. Cabinets, tanks, internal mechanism, and other parts may all be completed during the manufacture of powder cold can of soda vending machines.15. Cabinet travel all the powder delivered to the environmentally controlled chamber. Booths are made of polypropylene, which is believed to attract less excess powder, spray increase efficiency and reduce the need for cleaning. Each booth applies one color with an array of 18 to 22 spray guns, which are designed to move in order to provide better coverage, reaching into cavities, and track along with the cabinet. Weapons applying acrylic powder in the 0.0015-0, 002 uniform (1.5-2 mm) thick layer in the cabinet. Positively charged powder easily attached to the surface of the cabinet grounded. Oversprayed powder was collected, mixed with virgin powder and resprayed, so very little waste materials. A total of 95% of the oversprayed powder can be recovered.16. When the application is finished powder, coated cabinets stand out and go into the oven for 20-30 minutes cure at 370 ° F (188 ° C). Done permanently baked on powder.17. Closet so and tanks are then put together to the foaming process, the application of polyurethane foam insulation to the inside of the machine. The tank is mounted into the cabinet, and both pre-heated to about 120-150 ° F (49-66 ° C) foamy pending. When the correct temperature is reached, high pressure foaming equipment blowing insulation between the cabinet and the tank using gauge carefully shot material. Foam freezes, not only provides effective insulation but also the level of additional structural stability to the cabinet and the tank.At one time, resin additives used to make foam insulation structure, called blowing agents, contained large amounts of CFCs, or chloroflurocarbons. However, environmental concerns over the use of CFCs led to the use of alternative blowing agents, including halocarbon (HCFC) substitutes and water.18. When foaming is complete, the cooling unit is installed at the bottom of the cabinet. These units are often obtained pre-manufactured and slid into place, bolted safe, and cable into the cabinet by a single operator on the assembly line.19. Can feeder pile column mounted inside the cabinet. This column is produced and finished using a steel forming, punching, notching, and welding process similar to that used to make the cabinet and tank. This process is monitored carefully to ensure the correct stack size suitable for the right unit.20. In the final stage of manufacturing, mounted on the closet door. Exterior door units hold most highly sophisticated electronic cold drinks from vending machines, including coin and bill validator, the selection, control panel, tube changes, signs, and lighting. Interior doors act as an additional seal to the inside of the machine. The majority of the doors in the vending machines can not have a clear window to showcase the product. Instead, the front door often contain artwork, logos, and graphics engine advertising content. However, machines that vend bottles, candy, and snacks often have clear windows made of Lexan or other tough, break-resistant material.21. Shell base doors made and finished in much the same way as cabinets and tanks, with extra punch needed to accommodate the controls on the exterior doors. Door components are assembled as complete as possible in one area rather than on an assembly line. It is important that the doors are properly fitted to the correct cabinet, so the centralized door assembly to reduce the possibility of errors in matching the door unit. During manufacture, placed on a revolving door, indexible carousel that allows the operator to change and move them.22. All items placed in the assembly while it is in this carousel. Operator in accordance with the coin and bill validator, card acceptors, selection buttons, LCD screen, and other external controls in the right place and attach it with bolts or screws. Selection buttons are transferred to the motor from the right stack cans. Silk-screened front panel Lexan installed in the channel at the door. Lighting fixtures that ran in place and wired to the power supply. Be brought to the closet door and automatically installed. Could solve soda vending machine is then ready for quality inspection and testing.Quality ControlMachine so tested after assembly. Checks are made to ensure that all electronic components function properly, the stack can be installed properly, and that the cans were distributed accurately and safely. If problems are found, the machines were sent to the station is capable of holding multiple units. A technician re-make the necessary repairs, and the engine was tested again. If the problem persists, the unit is rejected and marked.Additional tests included air pull-down test, in which the temperature of the interior unit is "pulled" into the 30-31 ° F (-1 - 0.5 ° C). This test ensures that the machine control and temperature control to work properly.The unit tested was given final visual inspection, then cleaned and wrapped in clear plastic shrink-wrap. Vending machines complete transported by conveyor belt to a warehouse where they are packaged and prepared for shipment to the customer.FutureIn 2000, Coca-Cola announced plans to invest more than $ 100 million in online technology "Dial-a-Coke" Marconi Online sellers of Atlanta. For a vending company, the technology will improve the efficiency, data collection and maintenance. The machine will use remote diagnostics to alert staff at the headquarters when the machine needs refilling or servicing. Detailed stock status will be sent to a central location so that the route drivers and technicians will know exactly what products are needed to re-stock their machines before they even begin their routes. Sophisticated data collection will provide more immediate feedback about what products are sold and what items need to be replaced with more popular merchandise. The machine will transmit real-time data transactions, which enables tighter control of the company and more precise data on the accountability of cash and stock. For customers, technologies Dial-a-Coke will allow cashless purchases. Consumers will be able to use their phones to dial up some vending machines to choose and pay for a soft drink.Data can also be sent to the machine. Changes in prices, for example, typically require the technician to physically visit the machine to make the changes by hand. Remote sellers will allow changes to be made remotely, allowing vendors the flexibility to accommodate conditions such as promotional rates or lower rates during non-peak hours to increase overall sales volume. Cashless system will also reduce theft and vandalism in the engine by reducing the amount of cash deposited in the vending machine at any given time. The fire had started production on vending machines will accept credit or debit cards.Technological improvements in the wireless engine monitoring system in early 2001 has allowed the company to use the Internet as a kind of wide-area network to monitor and maintain the site remote sellers. Handheld computers are also becoming increasingly popular as a way to capture and share sales data directly from the machine.