Midlands-based Master Abrasives has established a strategic partnership with ASD Systems, a manufacturer of vending machines in Poland, to offer industrial vending solutions in the UK and Ireland.
Recognised for their value in improving the management and costs of production processes through the control of tools and other essential items, vending machines are used to dispense a wide range of industrial consumables. As specialists in abrasives and electric and pneumatic tools, Master Abrasives will now offer complete and abrasive orientated vendor managed solutions, whether customers require the vending machines alone or a value-added package to include restocking machines with products.
“We find that manufacturers are keener than ever to increase productivity, which can be done by reducing the time it takes staff to locate and order consumables,” explained Master Abrasives MD Paul Batson. “The software provided also gives managers transparency on what items are used and by whom and helps to reduce usage of consumable products. When vending PPE, companies benefit even further, having an audit of the issued items and allowing only approved health and safety equipment and access to the right PPE for their role. As a solutions provider, we are excited to now offer this option of vending from our portfolio.”
Vending machines by ASD Systems have been installed in Poland and internationally in hundreds of industrial companies. They provide 24/7 secure access to inventory using login and pin, RFID, barcode, magnetic reader or QR code. This system gives management more control over withdrawals and accessibility depending on the job function and allows the set-up of product withdrawal limits for each employee.
Mark Hatfield, Sales and Support Manager for ASD Systems in the UK, explained: “Machines start at just 805mm wide so can fit in the same workspace items are used in instead of employees having to collect them from stores. They give management full control over distribution of items with the option to set up individual limits for each employee. We’ve done our research and have found that it could result in savings of up to 30%, as well as the benefit of eliminating downtime for workers.
“An added benefit of the reporting system is that each week or set number of days, you can set up an automatic email to the supplier with the number of items used since the last report. This can lead to great time and cost saving as staff no longer need to travel to the customers site each week in order to check which items need restocking. It also means there’s no guesswork in filling up a van with items that they think need delivering to the customer’s site and takes away any uncertainty from both the supplier and customer’s perspective.”
With a connection from the machine to the company’s server, different types of reports can be produced with optional filters, for instance: per employee, product, amount, time, division or the cost center, etc. Simultaneously the system allows the export of all data to excel or CSV files. Depending on the network interface of the object, Master Abrasives can connect the device to the database server by interface Ethernet, LAN, Wi-Fi or GSM Modem.
Vending machine models are available in carousel, spiral or locker style dispensing systems. The compartments in the vending machine have an adjustable function both for its width and height so that dimensions can be amended at each stage of utilisation of the machine by adjusting their optimal size to the size of the product. Master and ASD Systems technical team propose the best solutions according to customer requirements whether it’s PPE, abrasive products or tooling.
Master Abrasives is offering different purchasing options to suit varying customer needs. The first option is to buy vending machines outright for a one-off charge, allowing a company to fill with products independently.
Another option Master Abrasives is offering is to rent its vending machines for a set monthly fee. This is available for a minimum of 24 months and makes vending solutions suitable for a range of budgets.
Master Abrasives can also offer a complete vendor managed stock agreement, which involves the supply of the abrasives and equipment as well as the vending machines as part of a managed contract. This option means that the customer pays only for the items that are dispensed for production, improving overall cost savings.
Fully operating vending machines are available in the UK to demonstrate – contact Master Abrasives to make an appointment or for further information.