Guarenteed Vend

[Randy 805]

What are peoples opinions of a Guaranteed Vend system?  I'm in need of some new machines to replace my old National 145's, and the guy I use for parts & machines has some refurbished USI 3152's available that I'm considering but they do not offer the guaranteed vend option I've been interested in, they have dual coils which I've head is just as good without the inherent problems of a GV system, would I be better off with the USI's or keep searching for GV optioned machines instead?

 

As a second inquery, how are the USI's?  I've not had them before but apparently they're one of the last machines still currently designed & built in the US, all the Cranes, Ap, Nationals, ect are all Chinese parts nowadays...  They have a nice modern clean look to them and are CC ready.

[AZVendor]

The guaranteed vend sensors are a very good option to have on a snack machine as it eliminates any customers from losing their money if their product doesn't fall.  The system was introduced by AMS when they designed their first snack machine, the Sensit 1, or perhaps by ECC on their first bottle drop machine.  It took several years before other manufacturers followed suit and began to offer the same option on their machines.  Just so you know the nomenclature: AMS uses the Sensit system, USI calls it I-Vend, AP called it Golden Eye and National is Sure-Vend.  The manufacturers that waited to offer vend sensor systems did so because they all offered dual spiral machines which does greatly reduce the likelihood of products not dropping.  A dual spiral machine with a vend sensor on it really has the best of both systems. 

 

All of the guaranteed vend systems work well as long as you take care not to damage the sensors that are mounted to the sides of the delivery bins and keep them aligned so they see each other.  Keep in mind that the sensors will fail over time, so they aren't repair-proof.  There are also aftermarket systems now available due to the popularity and you can add guaranteed vend to just about any older snack machine, but the factory systems still work the best. 

 

If you opt for the USI's without I-Vend you will have very reliable product delivery from the dual spirals but you will still have the single spirals for candy items, though those items are less likely to not vend.  Those single spirals (and the competition they felt) is why all the manufacturers finally offered their own systems to ensure positive vends from all selections, dual or single spiral.  If you think you want to get vend sensor machines from now on you will have to look harder for those on the used market.  AP didn't use it until the 120 series and the Studio SL series, National didn't start until the 167 series and USI doesn't have it on any machine without a Snackmart 6 or GVC board in it, but any AMS you find will have it as that is the only way they are built.  This means you will pay a premium for the machines if you find them because they are newer than most of what you find on the used market.

 

I don't know where you got your information that USI is the only US manufacturer now, but all machines built by Crane/National/GPL, AMS, Dixie Narco, Royal, Vendo and USI are manufactured completely in the US.  Naturally there might be some parts sourced from overseas, but I honestly haven't seen "Made in China" on any part in any of those manufacturer's machines, with the exception of Conlux coin mechs and validators which are made in Japan.

[orsd]

also crane's guaranteed delivery is called posivend

[RJT]

A little "surevend" histoty;

 

I am pretty sure the guy that owns AMS actually started the whole "surevend" thing. I have heard Crane got sued over the deal when they started doing it or something to that effect.

[AZVendor]

Yes, there were a couple of lawsuits filed years back by AMS that were finally resolved to the point of everyone being able to manufacture their own vend sensing systems now. 

 

This is similar to what happened when Pepsi first came out with a bubble front machine in the early 90's.  They actually held the patent on the design for a few years before Coke could begin to use bubble front doors on their machines.  There was also an issue with a patent dispute between National and Rowe when Rowe came out with the Showmax feature on their 448E cold food machines.  Showmax was a feature that would rotate the turret to display the side with the most product in it when a specified period of inactivity had passed.  National considered it a ripoff of their similar feature on their 430 cold food machine.  Rowe actually lost that patent infringement case and had to disable the feature on all machines and remove it from new manufacturing. 

[Technivend]

Posivend is Crane Gpl's version of Surevend. It actually worked better then the NV one for a while. AMS holds the patent on the guaranteed delivery system and licenses it out. I believe it actually goes back to the Royal Vendors days when Roy Steely designed that machine.