Planet Antares Vending | Planet Antares

Monday, December 31, 2007

Important Raw Materials For Your Vending Machine Business

The vending machines you use are the lifeline of your vending business. If the equipment is not reliable and built for sustaining wear and tear for a longer period of time, there will be need for frequent repairs and replacement of parts. So, it’s imperative to understand the basic make-up of the vending machines and know what goes into creating the vending machines that you by for your vending machine business.

Basically, there are four raw materials that are used to construct reliable vending machines such as Planet Antares vending machines. These include:

• Galvanized steel
• Lexan or other plastic
• Acrylic powder coatings
• Polyurethane insulation

For the larger part of the vending machine, galvanized steel with a thickness of about 10-22 gauges is used. The thicker gauges will be used for making the external doors, outside cabinets and internal tank. Thicker gauges are needed for these areas. The internal doors and plates, product trays and mechanisms are manufactured with inner gauges.

Planet Antares vending machines have a tough polycarbonate plastic called Lexan that are used in the front panels. The thickness of lexan sheets can range from 0.13in – 0.25in. For durability and reliability, lexan sheets are the best option. it is very difficult to break or inflame but rather easy to bend and give different shapes. Another unique property of this material is its ability to restrict light, UV rays and heat transmission. You can also get the product logos, illustrations and names silk screened on the lexan sheets. This makes it easier to place them in channels on the doors of the vending machines. In short, you can save money by using lexan sheets and lowering energy and replacement cost incurred every year.

The inside of the vending machines is insulated with help of the polyurethane foam. For applying his material, the process involves creation of a seamless, water proof envelope. There will be lesser drafts in your Antares vending machine as the foam will fill up the cracks, crevices and cracks. The foam is blown between the internal tank and the outer cabinet of the machine. In the end, it helps in improving the structural strength of your vending machine and makes it durable.

The surface of the vending machine is painted with acrylic powder coatings. These are colorful powders that offer the best overall exterior stability and can be combined with different products that provide great corrosion, detergent, chemical and stain resistance. You can expect excellent scratch protection and hardness for your Antares vending machines by using acrylic powder coating on it. Your machines will look smooth and glossy and attract customer attention. These powders also meet the governmental regulations regarding environmental protection.
All these raw materials make a vending machine reliable and durable. It is important to buy a good vending machine with all these features so that you can get value for your money.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Cashless Payment Technology For Your Vending Machines

The advancements in vending technology have benefited the vending industry in numerous ways. It is now possible to enhance business profitability with the help of technical components and software that was not present in the traditional vending machines.

Cashless payment technology is one such innovation that has changed the working of vending business in a significant manner. the fact that such vending machines handle less cash and have the capability to track transactions from remote monitoring system, makes it possible for vending operators to enjoy higher level of:

• Internet control
• Minimize chances of fraudulent cash use
• Reduce vandalism and theft potential

A cashless payment system can definitely improve business performance and help in expansion through enhanced efficiency in operations. If properly implemented, this technology will be a great asset for increasing accountability and control the resource utilization process.

Here are a few important benefits of using cashless payment technology in your vending business:

Easier
A lot of people are unable to use vending machines due to lack of change or coins. With cashless technology, anyone can buy products from your vending machine. They just need a smart card or credit card for making payment. This makes it easier for the customers to make purchases and increases the customer base for the vending business owner.

Increase in sales
Vending is all about impulse buying. Cashless payment technology encourages customers to buy products instantly instead of searching for change to do so. Thus, you can expect higher sales with the incorporation of this technology.

Efficiency
As transactions become cashless, you can expect higher efficiency in processing and services. There will be lesser cost of transaction handling and faster selling process as compared to cash purchases. You also will have no need for currency changers.

Higher profits
You can increase the price points for your products without a negative impact on vending sales volume. Customers are willing to spend more money while paying through credit cards and this can be a great opportunity for higher profits for vending operators.

Apart from these advantages, cashless payment technology also helps in strategic marketing with the help of recorded sales data, price point analysis, cost streamlining, etc. your Antares vending machine business is only going to benefit from the use of machines having cashless payment technology.

Cashless payment options vary from credit card and debit cards, to smart card and to magnetic strips. Once you install the system in your Planet Antares vending machines, these are the modes of payments that can be used.

Many systems suppliers claim that the convenience of cashless payment options can increase the number of purchase transactions by an average of 15 % while the average revenue per sale can increase by 20% to 50% over prior same machine transactions due to the ease of multiple product purchasing.