Nexiant
Secure Dispenser
Secure, Single-Item Inventory Management

Managing indirect materials presents a complex challenge for manufacturers. Manned tool cribs take up valuable manufacturing floor space and require full-time attendants who maintain time-consuming check-in / check-out procedures. This product was designed and developed from the ground up to increase efficiency by helping companies dispense and track high-volume items at the point-of-use. The key design elements of the product include:

• Modular product dispensing bays which can be swapped in and out in the field
• Three types of bays: lockers, carrousels and controller
• Modular locker doors to accommodate varying width items
• Robust security to prevent theft and vandalism
• Storage of up to 560 items per cabinet

Designed to withstand abuse in tough environments, the SecureSource system required strict manufacturing cost control for the client and simple operation for the users.

A sampling of some of the elements we designed or assisted with:

• Extruded locker door faces
• Assorted acrylic locker door spacers
• Locker door latch mechanism
• Electronic latching and release of doors
• Swiss-screw machined hinge pivots
• Sheetmetal bay enclosure
• Wire routing features
• Thermoformed bezel
• Off-the-shelf component sourcing
• Integration of rotary encoder 

The greatest challenge on this project involved designing the door mechanisms. For the lockers, the mechanism needed to take into account that the doors could be any of 6 different widths, had to be able to withstand intense prying forces, and yet be simple and cheap to manufacture. We came up with an elegant, sheetmetal solution that could be triggered manually or electronically and which utilized only one multi-function spring.

More information can be found at www.nexiant.com. 

Note: This work was done by Sascha Retailleau while working at Speck Design.