Compact energy supply system in the snack-vending machine of the future

The Canadian technology company BMC Universal Technologies has developed a vending machine of the future that can sell more than just sweets. With a 42-inch touchscreen and a 65-inch programmable display on the back, targeted advertising can be displayed. For example, based on the customer data that the vending machine collects from its users. For example, the gender or age of the customer can be recorded and used for better targeting.
However, the core of the vending machine is its interior: instead of simply selecting a specific product from a shelf, customers can have a customised package of ingredients delivered directly to them. The goods are sealed airtight in a bag in front of the customer - everything is clearly visible through a viewing window at the front. The user can also have the ingredients of the selected flavours or information on nutritional content printed on the bag. The challenge was to manage the numerous cables inside the complex vending machine in a safe and space-saving manner.

Due to the large number of cables in the vending machine, which move in different directions, it was necessary to find an energy supply that was as compact as possible. In order to move the sealed bags of sweets to the dispensing compartment every day in continuous operation, for example, many cables need to be moved safely. BMC Universal Technologies therefore decided to use several e-chain® of type E2.1, which both save installation space in the tightly dimensioned media kiosk and allow safe and failure-free cable routing thanks to their high stability. The narrow bend radius also prevents the e-chain® from getting in each other's way. And another decisive advantage: due to the large advertising spaces and the complex movements inside, the device requires a lot of power. To ensure that the innovative snack vending machine can still be connected to the power supply with a standard wall plug, the energy required to guide the cable must also be kept to a minimum.