STRATEGIC PARTNERS
A good ATM installation is all about nuts, bolts and common sense. by Alik V. Perakh of Cashflow ATM/Perakh & Associates
June 6, 2000
We've all heard the stories of offsite ATMs getting dragged down the street behind a truck. Not to mention the tales of would-be rustlers getting their bumpers torn off instead, sometimes with the perpetrator taking off in panic and leaving a license plate behind. Ever wonder what made the difference. Maybe a bigger truck -- or maybe a better installed ATM. As I was preparing installation guidelines for our sub-contracted installers, it occurred to me that many in the industry could benefit from this information. It hurts everyone in the business when there's is an article in the local paper about an ATM being stolen. Competition or not, we are in this business together. OK then, what is the difference. There are two tests. A properly installed ATM should be hard to tear out by force and easy to remove cleanly when needed. Unfortunately, many installations out there are the exact opposite -- weakly attached (improper anchoring, only two bolts, etc.) but a nightmare to remove (again, because of poorly attached anchors). In our line of work, we are often called upon to de-install or replace a machine that was installed by someone else. I am often appalled by the makeshift installations we encounter. Recently we were asked to take over the management of a machine on which the owners sought to save a few dollars by doing the installation themselves. When we arrived, the machine had two regular bolts stuck by hand into holes filled with rubber epoxy glue. The machine is loaded with as much as $40,000. Here are a few pointers I've picked up over the years from my previous carrier in the payphone industry, where the equipment is even more vulnerable to vandalism and break-ins: 1) Have the right tools. First you will need a rotary hammer that can handle at least half-inch holes in pressure-packed, aged concrete. This is not the simpler hammer drill. A hammer drill vibrates while it spins as two "bumpy" disks grind together. It can handle small jobs only. A rotary hammer actually pounds the special drill bit with real force, allowing you to quickly make large, deep holes in solid cement. 2) Use all four bolts. Two across may seem like enough, but it will take twice the force to tear out all four. Also, by nature metal is a little flexible -- which allows a person to get a prying level under the unattached corner. If the machine is pushed, it gives or "tweaks" just a bit, giving the pusher the sense it is not very firm and a notion to try something after the business closes. An all-four-corners installation creates an immobile and firm feel. 3) Use concrete anchor bolts that are more than 3 inches in length and at least a half-inch in diameter. 4) Do NOT use the type of bolt that employs a separate anchor. The anchor takes up space, so in a half-inch hole you only end up with a quarter-inch bolt -- and the anchors can't be removed. Do NOT use the kind that requires you to hit a pin on the top with a hammer to anchor it. It will hold well, but can not be removed without being cut off with a grinder -- which damages the floor and is dangerous, unpleasant work. Always think ahead to a possible de-installation. DO use the type of bolt that is its own anchor as shown in the diagram. 5) When drilling the hole, drill it at least one-and-a-quarter times the length of the bolt. When it's time to remove the machine, there will be no need to try to remove it or cut it off. A few hits with a hammer will drive it level with the floor, sealing its own hole. Bolts left sticking out are a liability and an eyesore. 6) Blow or suck all of the drilling dust out of the hole. Dust packed in by an incoming bolt will prevent it from going all the way in. Sometimes you can find a special blower at a hardware store. Mine is made of a turkey baster with attached rubber tubing. The extra quarter-inch or so at the bottom is for the dust you cannot get out. 7) Use large washers and tighten the nuts well by hand. The tightening of the nut is what locks the anchor in as it moves up. A loose connection also gives a machine a chance for that little momentum as someone tries to tear it out. 8) Clean all of the dust out of the machine before turning it on. Dust and heat are the equipment's worst enemies. 9) Step back and appreciate a job well done. Editor's note: This article was provided by Alik Perakh of Cashflow ATM and Perakh and Associates.
