MECHATRONICS SYSTEM DESIGN - COFFEE VENDING MACHINE

Mechatronics System Design - Coffee Vending Machine



Mechatronics System Design - Coffee Vending Machine

Introduction

Over the years, the advancements and applications of mechatronics systems have increased and continue to experience an upward growth. These applications have continued to allow for the automation of mundane operations, whether it be a complex operation, such as arc welding of a automotive chassis or a simple task, such as preparing a cup of Coffee. The following paper will investigate the operation of such a machine, whose sole task is to dispense a cup of Coffee per the user's request. We will look into the operation of the machine; propose a conceptual design, including hardware and software, as well as sufficient instructions on how to properly operate the system.

Coffee vending machines, like most other vending machines, are a great example of mechatronics systems. They seamlessly incorporate sensor networks, include one or more microcontrollers, some sort of actuation, be it linear or rotational, as well as contain the ability to interact with the outside world. The origin of vending machines, which are detailed in [1] and are not the focus of this paper has been traced back to the early 1880s and has continued to evolve to this day. The concepts of the vending machines have been used in a wide range of products, such as newspaper dispensers, drinks and snacks, as well as slot machines, which utilize many similar technologies as vending machines.

The main idea behind a Coffee vending machine is to offer piping hot Coffee, or any other liquid drink for that matter, at the touch of a button without the need to manually prepare the drink. The vending machine itself usually contains one or more insulated containers to hold the drink of choice. Furthermore, each container has its own independent electric heating element which can either be used to maintain the temperature of the drink all day or to instantly heat the drink upon order.

After paying, a product may become available by:

•the machine releasing it, so that it falls in an open compartment at the bottom, or into a cup, either released first, or put in by the customer, or

•the unlocking of a door, drawer, or turning of a knob.

Some products need to be prepared to become available. For example, tickets are printed or magnetized on the spot, and coffee is freshly concocted. One of the most common form of vending machine, the snack machine, often uses a metal coil which when ordered rotates to release the product.

Literature Review

The main example of a vending machine giving access to all merchandise after paying for one item is a newspaper vending machine (also called vending box) found mainly in U.S. It contains a pile of identical newspapers. After a sale the door automatically returns to a locked position. A customer could open the box and take all of the newspapers or, for the benefit of other customers, leave all of the newspapers outside of the box, slowly return the door to ...