Manufacturing Of Vending Machines

Vending machines have been in existence since 1st century BC. They slowly gained popularity by 1936 and since then there was no looking back for this industry. Name a product and you will find that in a vending machine. Let us look at how these machines have been manufactured.

The making of this machine involves four raw materials:

• Galvanized steel
• Lexan or other variety of plastic
• Acrylic power coating
• Polyurethane insulation

The body of the machine is made of galvanized steel with a gauge of 10 to 22 inches in thickness. Thick gauges are used for peripheral parts like cabinet, exterior doors and internal tank. Thinner gauge on the other hand is used for internal doors and plates can stacks, coin validators and product trays.

Lexan a form of polycarbonate plastic is used in the front panels of the vending machine. Acrylic power coatings are colored used to paint surfaces of the machine. Polyurethane foam on the other hand is an insulator that is used for protecting the inner side of the machine. This foam is a tough material that is inserted in between the outer and inner tank of the vending machine.

Manufacturing process of vending machine is not fixed and varies depending upon the products dispensed. However, the fundamental process can be jotted down as below:

• Galvanized steel undergoes several ordeals before it is used to make the cabinet. This steel is flattened by mixing it with raw steel and is later cut into small pieces.

• Holes are drilled in to the cabinet for fixing bolts and openings are created for electrical cords and slits for vents.

• Steel sheet is moulded into the shape of a cabinet.

• Seams are made for using resistance welding. This process involves use of high voltage charge that melts metal surface.

• The cabinet thus prepared is then taken to finishing area for final touches, before being installed.

• Process of making tank is more or less similar to the cabinet and finally they are fitted.

• Cabinet is subjected to several chemicals for cleaning and coating its surface.

• These units then pass on to the dying oven. They are subjected to a temperature ranging from 350°F to 400°F. This devoid them of any left over moisture content.

• The cabinets thus prepared are painted.

• Doors are installed on the cabinets and the final product is ready.

Companies like Planet Antares make sure that the entire process is carried under the strict vigilance of a quality control team. This team tries to upgrade itself by incorporating latest features and thus produce best vending machines.

Changing Customer Needs-Impact On Vending Machines

Vending machines have brought about a revolutionary change in marketing. Something we could not imagine of previously is made possible today with vending machines. Yes, selling a product without human interaction is something which many of us might have not thought of even in our wildest dreams. Just insert a coin worth the value of the product you want to purchase and the product is in your hand within a fraction of time.

Vending machines are popular worldwide for selling soft drinks, mineral water, health drinks etc. Besides selling these regular products, they are doing value addition by offering a new range of products. With increased dependency on vending, several machines offering quick and customised services are sprouting up. This industry initially started on a small note with vending holy water in temple. Gradually they have been used for vending wide variety of products like food items, ice creams, mineral water bottles, travelling tickets and beverages.

Few years back, none of us could have though of a machine that could completely replace a retail market. With more and more valuable products being marketed using vending machine, even this is possible. This is one reason that has resulted in world wide reputation for these machines.

If you are an existing operator or a prospective one, always remember to purchase a branded and established companies vending machine. These machines are known for their best and efficient services. There are several renowned manufacturing companies out in the market that can provide you professional service while choosing a new machine for your business. We often come across many vending machines across the street selling branded products that cater customised needs.

Besides selling routine retail products to customers, many vending machines are being used for diverse products like washroom products outside the toiletries of public place or a shopping mall, various types of cards, entry tickets etc. Vending machines are the best means that could offer products to the masses without any dedicated sales personnel. All you need is just connect your machine to electrical supply and fill it with stock of products you want to sell and the machine would take care of the rest.

Planet Antares is one of the most trusted companies in US. Planet Antares provides excellent vending machines and top customer service to it vendors to make sure they can provide the best service to their clients.

How to select products to be stocked in vending machines

Building up a business in the vending industry points out to the identification of various fundamental processes that require consideration before starting the project. One of these processes is the decision making for the kind of products that will be placed in your vending machine. The products that you place in the machine play a key role in this business as that is what sells.

Nowadays, a wide variety of products can be vended through the machines. You can buy anything from snacks, beverages, food, newspapers, stationary, postcards, and i-pods to coffee. In a country like Japan, there are vending machines from which you can buy sneakers, besides certain robotic soft drink vending machines that move around town for public convenience and attraction.

When selecting products for vending machines at schools, it should be considered that schools in the present times are encouraging healthier food consumption for children, thus the product selection for vending machines at schools should be made keeping in mind the health and well-being of the children.

Furthermore, attention should be paid to stocking branded products in the vending machine as they are make sure sellers among consumers. Besides, if it is a glass-front vending machine, a thought should be given to stocking up products that have colorful packaging as it will attract the eye of the customer, especially in those vending machines that are placed in and around train stations as those areas have constant human traffic and initiate impulse buying.

It is advisable that a supplier is appointed for stocking up the vending machine and supplying bulk quantities so that you do not have to make frequent visits to the supplier. It should also be noted that the product rates quoted by the supplier are not very high, they should be reasonable because otherwise there will be very little sale profit. It is also important to follow the trends in buying behavior of the consumers, as these keep fluctuating from time to time. By doing this, the most famous products will always be available for consumer satisfaction and it will lead to a good vending business.

Which Vending Machine To Purchase?

Vending is the ideal way of setting up ones own business. Maintenance is minimal in this business and all you need is to collect cash from your machines. Operator can take up this business either on a full time basis or a part time basis. To begin with, it is always better to start with one machine working out of your home or by placing a machine in your locality. Once your customer base increases, you can start re-investing in more machines and grow your company as large as you like.

Once you have on the kind of business you are going to take up, the next and most important step is to purchase the most appropriate machine that suits your business requirements. There are different vending machines available in the market and you should carefully evaluate them before you finalize on one machine.

• Mechanical vending machine: These machines do not run on electricity. These machines do not have any automated features. But still they have several benefits associated with them:

• Easy to locate
• Easy to refill and repair
• Easy transportation
• Zero electricity bills

On the other hand the negative aspect of this machine is that it has lesser earning potential and is more prone to break downs.

• Electrical vending machines: This machine gives you relief from all the problems that arise from mechanical vending machines. They also allow you to earn more.

• Combination vending machine: A combination vending machine can dispense more than one product at a time. These are very attractive, easy to operate, have larger storage capacity and can generate high income. They also accept multiple modes of payment.

• Small vending machines: These are best option for novice in vending business. These do not occupy much floor space and can be placed anywhere easily.

• Large vending machines: These have higher potential to earn and are preferred by most vending operators. These machines are more secure because of their large size.

An operator can choose the best and most reliable machine that comes within his budget. Whichever model you may purchase, it is always advisable to purchase a new machine and that too from manufacturers like Planet Antares who not only sell machines but provide you with reliable customer support.

Latest Vending Business Strategy

Healthy living and healthy eating is what most people are looking forward to. This concept has given rise to several health drinks and food products which are replacing the not so healthy food. Energy drinks are the latest craze among all age groups of customers everywhere. With vending industry growing at an unprecedented rate, energy drinks are a sure short form of making profits. Energy drink vending machine business opportunity is a guaranteed success. The target market for energy drink marketers is huge and it includes schools, university campuses, offices, parks, gyms, dance studios and any other place with high foot fall. Energy drink vending machines have the potential for a high return on investment in a short period of time.

Apart from energy drinks, candy and snacks is the next best revenue opportunity. Low calorie cereal bars and low fat snack have been introduced in order to encourage healthy eating among customers. Because of huge demand, candy and snack bar operators are up grading to large sizes.. The major benefits of these up-gradations are:

Customer benefit: Customer would receive more quantity of the product. For instance, if beverage operator has upgraded from 12 ounce to 20 ounce, then customer would receive 8 more ounces of the product at low per ounce cost as compared to purchasing 12 ounce.

Vending operator benefit: An operator would benefit in the long run by increasing the size or capacity of the bottle. This would generate higher sales.

Manufacturers benefit: As the margins increase from sales, manufacturer gets benefited.
Trade up or up grading is a marketing strategy used especially in food industry. You can find that most fast food joints increase the quantity of drink offered for a very small fee. This allows the customer to enjoy more amount of drink for the same money. Gradually small quantity of drinks is completely eliminated from being sold. As customers get lured by larger products at a small upgrade cost, many operators are experiencing success with trade-up marketing.

Planet Antares keeps a track on vending trends. Under customer support program, they assist vending operators in planning their business for success. Planet Antares is a leading manufacturer of vending machines in US. State of the art vending machines by Planet Antares are reasonably priced and provide hassle free operations.