Vending Machine

How Products are Made, Volume 7 (1999) by Jeffrey Roberts

Vending Machine

Background

From humble single-cent beginnings, vending operations in the United States have evolved into a $36.6 billion industry. Canned cold drinks were the industry's top sellers in 1999, posting $15.7 billion in sales and accounting for 42.9% of the industry's gross sales volume. 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 were produced and shipped in 1999. More than half (477,102) were refrigerated units vending canned and bottled soft drinks.

Vending accounts for a significant portion of the sales and profits of beverage bottlers and snack makers. In 2000, vending machines generated 14% of total foodservice sales in venues such as college campuses, factories, businesses, hospitals, and schools. Bottlers pay colleges, schools, and other institutions millions of dollars for exclusive rights to place vending machines on campuses. Vended soft drink sales may represent only as much as 15% of a bottler's total yearly sales, but that same volume could easily account for half of their annual profits.

History

The first documented vending machine dates from about 215 B.C. , when the mathematician Hero invented a device that accepted bronze coins and dispensed holy water in the temples of Alexandria, Egypt. In A.D. 1076, Chinese inventors developed a coin-operated pencil vendor. Coin-activated tobacco boxes appeared in English taverns during the 1700s.

The United States government began granting patents for coin-operated vendors in 1896. However, it was not until 1888 that vending became a viable market in the United States. In that year, the Adams Gum Company developed gum machines that were placed on elevated train platforms throughout New York City. The machines dispensed a piece of tutti-frutti gum for a single penny.

In 1926, William Rowe invented a cigarette vending machine that started a trend toward higher priced merchandise, including soft drink and nickel-candy machines that evolved throughout the late 1920s and 1930s. Coffee vendors were developed in 1946, and refrigerated sandwich vendors 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 been at one time or another. The first beverage vendor, dated to 1890 in Paris, France, offered beer, wine, and liquor. Items that have been found in vending machines include clothing, flowers, milk, cigars and cigarettes, postage stamps, condoms, cologne, baseball cards, books, live bait for fishermen, comic books, cassettes and CDs, lottery tickets, and cameras and film. Some modern vending machines dispense hot foods such as pizza, popcorn, and even french fries.

Raw Materials

Vending machines are constructed primarily from four major raw materials: galvanized steel, Lexan or other plastic, acrylic powder coatings, and polyurethane insulation.

The bulk of the machine is constructed from galvanized steel ranging from 10 gauge to 22 gauge in thickness. The thicker gauges are used for the outside cabinet, external doors, and internal tank. Thinner gauges are used for internal doors and plates, can stacks, and mechanisms such as coin validators and product trays.

Lexan, a tough polycarbonate plastic, is used in the front panels of the vending machine. Sheets of Lexan in vending machines usually range from 0.13 in (3.18 mm) to 0.25 in (6.35 mm) in thickness. Lexan is very difficult to break, flame retardant, relatively easy to shape, and can be treated to restrict UV rays, light, and heat transmission. Product logos, names, and illustrations are silk-screened on Lexan sheets, which are installed in channels in the doors of the vending machines.

Acrylic powder coatings are colored powders used to "paint" the surfaces of vending machines. The powder is applied in a uniform layer and baked on during the manufacturing process. Acrylic coatings withstand the rigors of weather and abuse better than paints that are applied wet. In addition, acrylic powders more readily meet governmental environmental standards.

Polyurethane foam provides the insulation for the inside of the vending machine. The foam is blown between the outer cabinet and internal tank of the machine, where it cures into a very tough, rigid material. In addition to thermal insulation, the stiff foam adds structural stability to both the cabinet and tank of the machine.

Some manufacturers, such as Dixie-Narco, also make the complicated electronic devices used in vending machines, while others purchase them pre-made and install them as part of the manufacturing process. These components include bill and coin validators, computer control boards, refrigeration units, and lighting.

Design

The basic design of a vending machine begins with the cabinet, the steel outer shell that holds all internal components and which determines the machine's overall size and shape. Inside the cabinet is a steel inner lining called the tank. The tank and the cabinet fit closely together, leaving enough room in-between for a layer of polyurethane foam insulation. In combination, the tank and the foam insulation help keep internal temperatures stable and protect products against temperature extremes outside the cabinet. Although all products and dispensing mechanisms are contained in the cabinet, in the strictest sense, they are actually installed within the tank.