Design and Implementation of a low cost pizza vending machine

In our modern fast paced life, vending machines provide quick and easy access to daily items. The next big trend in such machines is that of pizza vending machines. Existing solutions to pizza vending machines are expensive which has halted their widespread adoption. Hence there is a need for a low-

Project Title

Design and Implementation of a low cost pizza vending machine

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

In our modern fast paced life, vending machines provide quick and easy access to daily items. The next big trend in such machines is that of pizza vending machines. Existing solutions to pizza vending machines are expensive which has halted their widespread adoption. Hence there is a need for a low-cost solution that can overcome these limitations. State of the art pizza vending machines automate the entire procedure of pizza making from start to finish. They employ advanced robotics to prepare, cook and box the pizzas while also accepting various payment options. This project proposes a pizza vending machine design that is meant to be a low-cost solution. This project presents an opportunity for advancement in making automation and control systems economical and efficient. Our project will reproduce most of the functionalities of existing machines with low cost implementation. This project will include the design and implementation of sensors and actuators for pizza preparation, electric oven for cooking the pizza, controllers for individual processes and an Human Machine Interface (HMI) for user interaction and payment. The outcome of this project will be a pizza vending machine capable of producing and dispensing fresh pizza within a short period. The benefit of such a machine is that can replace entire pizzerias and provide a low investment business model.

Project Objectives

The following are the primary objectives of this project:

• Design a system for movement of pizza through different stages of preparation.
• Use actuators to add toppings to the pizza during preparation stages.
• Develop an electric oven with a temperature controller to cook the pizza.
• Develop a Human Machine Interface (HMI) for customers to interact with the pizza vending machine.
• Implement a payment gateway for the customers.

Project Implementation Method

The implementation of the objectives of this project is as follows:

The main structure of the project will be fabricated out of metal. The structure will support the movement system as well as the oven and the electronic control  equipment. The movement system will be developed using lead screws and linear rods and will move a metallic plate that will hold the pizza base. The movement system will be powered by stepper motors. The movement system will be responsible for moving the pizza base through the stages of preparation such as adding toppings and cooking in the oven.

The toppings will be of two types. For liquid toppings, a dosing pump will be mounted on the machine with a small reservoir for the pizza sauce. For solid toppings, a custom actuator will be designed to add toppings like cheese and olives.

A human machine interface will be developed for the user to interact with the machine. This will be achieved by building an android application that will run on an device attached to the machine. The customer will be able to choose their pizza and make payment using this app. Payments will be done using debit cards.

In order to cook the pizza, an oven will be fabricated out of metal, and will be equiped with electrical heating rods. There will be electrical circuits alongwith microcontrollers to control the power to the oven as well as record and maintain the temperature inside the oven. There will be proper insulation of the oven using glass wool.

Benefits of the Project

The benefits of this project are as follows:

• The pizza vending machine provides a low cost business model for investors as compared to a pizzeria.
• It will be a low cost implementation as compared to existing machines that cost thousands of dollars.
• The design of the machine will be unique which will contribute to the development and innovation of automated machines in Pakistan.
• It can provide a source of income for individuals just like regular vending machines.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The final machine will be capable of adding toppings to a 10 inch pizza dough and cook it. The following are the technical features:

• A metallic structure 1.2 meters in length and roughly 0.4 meters in width.
• It will have an electric oven with glass wool insulation and roughly 2000 watts of power consumption.
• A circular metallic plate to hold a 10 inch pizza base with the ability to rotate the pizza.
• A movement system consisting of two NEMA 17 stepper motors along with lead screws and linear rods, that will be capable of moving the pizza plate through different stages of preparation. 
• It will have a dosing pump for adding liquid toppings as well as a custom actuator to add solid toppings.
• There will be an android application that will be used to interact with the machine and make payments through debit cards.

Some technical limitations:

• The machine will not include refrigeration of ingredients or storage for pizza dough due to time and budget constraints.
• The pizza base will need to be manually placed on the machine since there is no storage.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Food

Other Industries

IT

Core Technology

Robotics

Other Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT)

Sustainable Development Goals

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

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