A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Astrotech Group, Astrosys International specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of currency handling products under the Microcoin electronic multi-coin acceptor brand and the Global Bill Acceptors bank-note acceptor brand.

Founded in 1997, the subsidiary focused on the GBA bank note validator to begin with, developing a strong market presence particularly in the UK and Europe. Then, in 1999 it further strengthened its position as a global player in money handling, by acquiring Australia-based Microsystem Controls, which was (and still is) widely acknowledged as one of the leading coin validation technology experts worldwide.

The company now has 40 employees located around the world, while there are another 200 employees in Astrotech’s two ISO9001-certified manufacturing plants.

Astrosys International maintains its diversified worldwide markets by a strong international network of regional offices located in the US, Australia, UK and Hong Kong, which are supported by representation in other key global markets through well regarded distributor networks.

Before joining Astrosys International, Microsystem Controls was a self-sufficient organisation operating out of Australia but supplying global markets with its Microcoin coin validators.

The Astrosystems side of the ledger has focused its energies on note validators since the late 1980s and has developed the range of Global Bill Acceptors, originally manufactured in sturdy, metal housings, delivering note stacking models and stackerless solutions. Known as the GBA1 or SLEC, the GBA morphed into the popular GBA HR1, which is used extensively throughout the UK, Europe and Australia and has a library of well over 100 note-sets.

According to the company’s Robert Bird, Astrosys International sees itself as a serious, long-term player in the currency handling industry, with strong commitment to its Microcoin and GBA brands. With its research and development dance card full of application-based solutions for coin and note handling, there are some exciting products emerging or about to emerge onto the market.

"The Microcoin QL coin validator has been our most successful product to date due to its wide acceptance with gaming OEMs, its popularity in other markets and its overall reputation in the industry at large, as the best high-speed multi-coin and token acceptor in the world," said Bird. "Gaming OEMs such as IGT, Aristocrat, Konami and Shuffle Master are now using the QL extensively as their default coin acceptor in coin-op applications around the world. Others, such as WMS, Bally and Novomatic have used the QL for specialised applications.

"Its success has been the capability to reliably operate at up to 10 coins per second as a single or multi-coin acceptor across a wide range of world currencies, while maintaining a strong protective barrier against fraud attempts."

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The amusement and gaming industry has changed significantly over the last few years and it has been remoulded by the global recession and by the ever-changing local legislation. These influences, according to Bird, have naturally had a negative effect on the majority of markets.

"Generally there has been a clear decline in the number of new machines built," he said. "Due to the many changes in the European market there is an abundance of pre-built machines that are looking for new homes," he said. "For us as a component manufacturer and supplier, there has been a shift from low cost stackerless product to the higher end stacker units. We have seen cautious and considered product selection and there is now a trend for quality. The manufacturers are relying on the components to yield increased financial return on a machine.

"Each country has its own legislation which dictates the individual requirements of the OEM," continued Bird. "There are a few fledgling markets in Europe which have taken the lead from previously buoyant territories and we have seen recent success in these areas.

"The future of the industry is very dependent on the paths taken by different governments in relation to local legislation in Europe. Should the widespread restrictions be relaxed in order to lessen the effects of the global recession, the industry may well see an upturn in fortunes. However, if no action is taken, the decline in machine sales will almost definitely continue."

Looking forward, Astrosys International will continue to release developments based on its GBA ST series of bank note validators and the Microcoin coin validator. In particular, and covered in last month’s issue of InterGame is the GBA GV1 - a front-loading note validator, designed for secure markets and to deliver on market demands for form and fit, it has unique characteristics, which make it an attractive solution for serviceability and modularity.

The powerful GBA ST2 stackerless note reader is used as the GV1’s currency validation module, providing ready access to a wide variety of global currencies. It is integrated into the GV1 transport system yet can be easily accessed for cleaning or extraction.

With an eye on service wants and needs, everything about the GV1 is easy. It can be quickly stripped down to its servicable parts. Belts are easily accessible for change outs, the main PCB controller slides out from its position with the flick of a finger and the note transport pathway is completely accessible for cleaning.

The secure note cassette is audit-capable; lockable both to itself and to the GV1 chassis and can hold up to 800 notes. Currently supporting MDB, pulse and serial interfaces, the GV1 is a high quality solution for virtually any type of secure, front access note handling application.