THE VAN RACKING SPECIALISTS
Van equipment in a Opel Combo for a vending machine service
COMBO, THE SMALL VAN FROM OPEL
The Opel Combo is a small van with a two-seat cab and a load compartment of adequate capacity for its external dimensions. The Combo is available as a crew van and a panel van, and comes in two wheelbases and two roof heights. The cab is identical in all versions: only the dimensions of the load compartment change.
A COMPACT WORKSHOP IN AN OPEL COMBO OPERATED BY A VENDING MACHINE SERVICE
Vending is the sale and supply of foods, drinks and other products via automatic machines. In recent years the vending sector has expanded rapidly to cover a vast range of foods including first and second courses, as well as consumables like mobile phone accessories, pharmaceutical products and cigarettes. The modern vending machine can well be thought of as a 24-hour shop for serving customers around the clock.
Vending machines demand constant attention as well as installation and maintenance and this is where Syncro System comes into play. Syncro is always in the front line when it comes to offering solutions for making the work of mobile service technicians easier and more efficient.
In this case the Syncro installation team got together with the customer to discuss the best way to transform this long wheelbase, high roof Combo into a compact but efficient mobile workshop for installing and servicing automatic vending machines.
Like all vans, the Combo suffers from a lack of protection in the load compartment, and this inevitably leads to damage during use unless preventive measures are taken. To avoid such damage, the first step Syncro’s installers took was to fit a robust floor liner in resinated birch plywood with a non-slip surface, protective steel edging at the doors and flush fitting cups for the cargo anchors.
In addition to reinforcing the original floor, this liner also provides a perfectly flat surface for the cargo and a rigid base for the racking.
The racking on the left of the van starts with a wheel arch cabinet and door, a practical way of turning the awkward space over the wheel into useful storage. Further up are five large metal drawers mounted on ball-bearing runners, complete with an automatic system for keeping them shut, non-slip mats and dividers. Two steel component cases with plastic containers are housed in special case trays but can easily be removed and carried around on site or opened in place without removing them.
Above these are two shelves, again with mats and dividers plus another shelf with nine removable plastic trays.
On the right of the van we find another wheel arch cabinet, this time with a patented lift-and-rotate door for complete frontal access. Above this is a pull-out vice support with a 110 mm steel vice. The racking on this side is completed by four shelves with dividers and non-slip mats. Note how the shelves vary in depth to follow the shape of the Combo’s bodywork.
The Syncro catalogue contains a vast range of accessories designed to make the user’s work easier and more productive. In this case the Syncro team fitted a compact, 10 Watt LED ceiling light that provides effective illumination for the van’s load compartment and ensures that parts and materials can be found quickly under all conditions. A milled aluminium rail with straps is fitted to the van’s bulkhead to secure cargo while the van is on the road.
Another mission accomplished for Syncro: this Combo has been turned into a great workshop on wheels for a vending machine service company!