Vending Machine

The vending machine that I am making was inspired by this machine that I saw online. Since I was inspired by this, I decided to recreate it. I began the making process in January at the beginning of the month. I found this vending machine on Howtomechatronics.

Supplies

Below I attached a list of everything I've used so far to make the machine. I have been adding more and more parts to the machine, I noticed that I needed throughout the process.

Step 1: Concept Sketch

I first started by drawing out the front base of my machine to decide which design I liked the most. Once I did that I began taking note of the major things that were required for the functionality of the machine. I needed to understand the concept of how it worked before I began working on the machine.

Step 2: Designing on Fusion

After I get a good idea of the machine, I then open Fusion and start building an ideal model of the machine with my proper and desired dimensions for the machine itself. I first started with designing my machine's base after deciding what kind of design I wanted. Below, I listed my fusion design as well as the parts that I needed to manufacture.

Step 3: Prototype

For my prototype, I made my machine out of cardboard. It was not to scale, but it gave me an idea of how it would function and what to expect. I say this because as I was making this, I was having trouble with the machine's mobility. Down below, I inserted a few pictures of what my prototype looks like. The only difference is that it doesn't include any of the technical wiring of my machine.

Step 4: Building the Machine

This is the base of the machine. There are different sections for each part of this machine. The first image shown is where all of the given motors would go. Those would be the ones that would spin the items out of the machine. Lastly the second image is where all of the technical wiring would be located.

Step 5: Rail System

With the rail system, I created three sets. Two of these sets were doubles, and they are the ones that move the items individually up and down, as well as left and right. The last set is singles. This is the support that helps the motors move up and down.

Step 6: Wiring

The wiring of this machine was super complicated, and I never got to finish connecting it. I was referring to the very first image, which was a guide for me. I originally thought about using it on a normal breadboard, but decided to solder it to a separate board for easier transportation and so I don't have to worry about any of the wires disconnecting. Overall, this was the most complicated part of the project because if something wasn't connected a certain way, it wouldn't work. I did test how the motors were connected to the board with and code and they were successful. I decided to work on sections for this project, so I knew that if I were to plug in the entire code, I knew it would work even though it was probable that something would go wrong.