The SaltTap kiosk is a self-serve ice melt dispensing system designed for Blue Rhino-style cage locations at gas stations and convenience stores. A single rock salt hopper feeds an auger into a mixing chute where liquid CaCl₂ is injected via peristaltic pump. A 24-locker array stores prefilled Pet-tier buckets. Three tiers from one machine.
| Component | Specification | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | 316 stainless steel, weatherproof, locking | $800 – $1,200 |
| Single Hopper | HDPE, 2,000 lb capacity, anti-bridging geometry, top-fill port | $300 – $500 |
| Auger Motor + Drive | DC gear motor, variable-speed, 3–4" 304SS auger | $300 – $500 |
| Mixing Chute | 304SS, 45° angle, ~12" length, spiral rib baffles | $100 – $200 |
| Peristaltic Pump | 12V/24V DC, metered dosing, Viton tubing, self-priming | $80 – $150 |
| CaCl₂ Reservoir (5 gal) | HDPE tank, insulated, 50W silicone heater pad, float sensor | $100 – $200 |
| Spray Nozzle + Lines | Flat-fan SS nozzle, PTFE fittings, self-reg heat trace cable | $80 – $150 |
| Load Cell / Weight Sensor | Single-point, 100 lb capacity, ±0.1% accuracy | $100 – $200 |
| 24-Locker Array | Sheet steel, EM locks, micro-switch sensors, rear-access doors | $600 – $1,000 |
| Payment Terminal | NFC/chip/QR reader, PCI-compliant | $500 – $800 |
| Controller | Industrial PLC or RPi 4 + custom I/O board | $200 – $400 |
| 4G Modem + Antenna | LTE Cat-4, external MIMO antenna | $100 – $200 |
| Heating System | Hopper heater (200W) + reservoir pad (50W) + heat trace | $200 – $400 |
| Wiring & Connectors | IP67 connectors, weatherproof conduit | $200 – $300 |
| Assembly Labor | Machine shop fabrication + wiring | $500 – $1,000 |
| Total — MVP Prototype | $4,160 – $7,200 | |
| Production at scale (100+ units) | $5,000 – $9,000 | |
U.S. Provisional Patent Application — 72 claims covering core machine technology, liquid injection, locker system, and business methods
SaltTap's engineering package was developed using AI-assisted design tools, producing specifications detailed enough for a machine shop to build from. The single-hopper + liquid injection architecture, bill of materials, technical specifications, and 72 patent claims were developed through iterative AI-human collaboration with the founder's domain expertise in de-icing materials and retail distribution.
CAD modeling and physical prototyping are the next step, estimated at $7–12K total NRE. What you see here is not a napkin sketch — it's an engineering-grade specification package ready to hand to a machine shop.
No fake renders. No fictional test data. Real specifications, real cost estimates, real engineering constraints. The machine doesn't exist yet — but everything needed to build it does.
Complete specification package — detailed enough for a machine shop + electrical contractor to build a working prototype.