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Dilling Harris Vending Machine

waterway

Member
Anyone have any ideas where I can get a replacement panel for the plastic window in my dilling harris vending machine. Last weekend someone decided that they were gonna break into my car wash and shattered the panel and caused some other damage. The rocket scientist didn't get anything except for my vending supplies. Oh ya I only ask because I have heard some horror stories about dealing with the manufacturing to get replacement parts...
 
A sheet of plexiglass or Lexan from a hardware store won't be thick or strong enough to protect your product. A specialty plastics shop should have 3/8" polycarbonate, which should be nearly unbreakable. Tempered glass is also incredibly strong and won't get scratched up, but it's much more expensive.
 
With SS bracing on the vender front and the way it mounts the , Polycarbonate has worked great for us, bacause of the small openings on the front the polycarbonate is stronger than the glass.
 
Last month I called D & H for vendmaster motor.The salesman was nice and talkative about the changes in the company.I received my motor in 3 days by ups.Maybe things are looking up.
 
A sheet of plexiglass or Lexan from a hardware store won't be thick or strong enough to protect your product.



Mine has held up for about 5 years. Granted this location is not in a bad neighborhood like my others, I would have got a thicker one at my other locations.
 
I use safety laminated glass. It is two pieces of glass with a layer of plastic sandwiched n between. Much like a windshield. It won't scratch or fog up like plastic. If someone tries to break in the glass will crack, won't give.
 
laminated is actually a bit more expensive than tempered, but most people don't have quick access to tempered glass. Local glass shops order it and have it manufactured by a tempering plant. In big cities the wait time is probably short, a couple of days, but in smaller towns you may have to wait a week for some tempered to be delivered. laminated can be cut while you wait at a glass shop. It is a pain to deal with. You have to cut it on both sides and then cut the laminate between with a razor knife. The big advantage is theft resistance. It can be cracked but the perp won't get anything. Many jewelry stores and other places that display high value items in their windows use laminated. I use it primarily because unlike most composites it is scratch and fog resistant.
 
I was thinking laminated would be cheaper as protection mainly because a sheet of tempered glass would have to be very thick to give good protection. A thin sheet of tempered is pretty easy to break, and then it's gone in a shower of little pieces. A thin sheet of laminated can be smashed and broken and will still protect the product.
 
As stated by others, your local plastic supply house or sign shop should have material and will cut to size. If you can't find any, google US Plastics. Polycarbonate is the only way to go. Lexan is just a brand name for it.

MC
 
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