Vending machines come in a wide variety of sizes as well as having a multitude of capabilities. The
challenge laid down by a specialist company was to help in the design and manufacture of an ice cream vending machine.
The key design features of the machine when in operation were there could be no mechanical field service
maintenance. The machine must also cater for a wide range of bin sizes that are able to accommodate for
a large variety of product shapes, sizes and weights. Furthermore, it had to have guaranteed product delivery, and then operate effectively at temperatures of -24ºC to -29ºC.
These tough machine-operating requirements placed considerable importance on the bearing selection for
the robotic pick-and-place module. After exhaustive research and testing, the designers selected the Spyraflo FSSD-250 Self-Clinching, Self-Aligning, Stainless Steel housed, Delrin bearing. The clinching capability ensures the bearings are securely mounted in the sheet steel chassis, while the additional self-aligning capability makes certain the most economic material and machining solutions could be used. At the same time the bearings guaranteed long life, fast consistent performance, and maintenance-free life.
The vending machines are now happily bringing cold comfort to many customers bringing new markets and success to the manufacturer.
These bearings are distributed in the UK and Eire by Micromech.