One-step away from buying a channel letter bending machine.

[Hunter74]

If anyone wants the full story about SDS Automation ChannelBenders vs CCI, CLN, etc give me a call. James Cross SVP SDS Automation 303-956-7959. I've been with SDS for 13 years and have replaced more than 500 AccuBend machines and dozens of CLN machines in just the past 7-8 years. Do you pay more up front for SDS bender than most "competitors"? Yes. Are SDS ChannelBenders more expensive than competitors machines? No. There's a lot more to the price/cost equation than just the amount of the check you write to buy the machine.

How accurate are the returns that the bender produces relative to the actual artwork (.dxf file). Are you bending your letters twice, once by machine and once by hand to fix them? How quickly does the machine produce an (accurate) letter? Even if you're not doing channel letters 24/7, the faster you get the letters done, the faster you and/or your fab guys can move on to other projects that are generating revenue for your business. How much manual manipulation do the files require just to get the machine to run them? AccuBend machines are notoriously finicky about artwork and my former AccuBend customers frequently said that they would waste HOURS every week just cleaning up files so the CCI machine would run them. How much waste does the machine produce on each letter segment? (A capital letter B is actually 3 separate segments and channel letter coil is about $.60ft) Does the price of the machine include installation and training at your facility, or do you have to watch hours of YouTube videos to learn how to run the machine? How many field service techs does the company have and can you count on them to be available when you need them? Where is the parts inventory located and can they get the parts to you the next day to keep you up and running? Do they offer lifetime tech support with the machine, or do they try to charge you $5000 just to talk to them after 8-10 years. How long does it take to get the machine once you buy it? Is the lead time 1-2 weeks or 1-2 months? Does the company have a thorough library of tech support documentation and videos available to help you down the road?

I'm passionate about what I do and I love helping sign companies become faster, more innovative, and more efficient in what they do. I'm happy to answer questions and I will gladly provide dozens and dozens of
references

The attached photos are identical .dxf files run on SDS benders and several different AccuBend machines. No hand finishing was done on any of these letters. These photos represent raw machine output using identical files.


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I just started with a company that has 3 SDS (2 benders & 1 trimcap) and so far so good (programmed and ran a CLN & Accubend's in the past). As a programmer I do have questions in regards to fine tuning our DXF's on Export from non-Enroute software. We also recently upgraded a CPU and need to get it tuned for .063 & .080. . Would you mind a conversation as the best way to start my deep dive into searching for these solutions?
Thanks,
Aaron

 

[Get Bent]

Aaron, Please call me to discuss.

 

[Hunter74]

Aaron, Please call me to discuss.

Thanks a ton to you and your team James!

 

[Get Bent]

You're very welcome. Thanks for being a loyal SDS Automation customer.

 

[DarkerKat]

Sorry to reply to an old chain - any of the SDS Automation users on there willing to share what software they use to setup files for production, especially when it comes to getting holes drilled on the channel returns? Their software is supposed to be able to add these "automatically" but I don't know what I needs in the file in order to recognize a node for hole placement.

 

[Get Bent]

Our machine punches the holes automatically it doesn't position the holes automatically. If you position holes in the flange on your CNC dxf file, our software is capable of recognizing the holes and punching an 1/8” hole to correspond with the hole drilled in the letter back by your CNC.

 

[DarkerKat]

Our machine punches the holes automatically it doesn't position the holes automatically. If you position holes in the flange on your CNC dxf file, our software is capable of recognizing the holes and punching an 1/8” hole to correspond with the hole drilled in the letter back by your CNC.

Understood, but it doesn't do that consistently - so what is it supposed to be recognizing? is it a specific hole diameter? We were told by your tech that it recognizes "nodes" - but the file they provided doesn't include any. Do those "nodes" need to be manually placed the operator in your software?

 

[Bradley D]

Best to give them a call and have them walk you through it-- they have great tech support, but both Enroute and Vectric Vcarve (my favorite) have features that will copy shapes along vector. So what you do is inset your channel letter vector file half the size of the flange which is usually about 1/4" on SDS automation machines and then use the copy along vector or copy along path feature to add 1/8" diameter circles along the path where you would like fastening holes placed. Then you delete the inset line and you have a backer with lots of holes going around perimeter inset at 1/4" When the software feature is turned on in the SDS software, the bender will add holes in the flange that lines up perfectly with the holes in the backer. It works surprising well and very useful when using a thicker backer.

 

[DarkerKat]

Best to give them a call and have them walk you through it-- they have great tech support, but both Enroute and Vectric Vcarve (my favorite) have features that will copy shapes along vector. So what you do is inset your channel letter vector file half the size of the flange which is usually about 1/4" on SDS automation machines and then use the copy along vector or copy along path feature to add 1/8" diameter circles along the path where you would like fastening holes placed. Then you delete the inset line and you have a backer with lots of holes going around perimeter inset at 1/4" When the software feature is turned on in the SDS software, the bender will add holes in the flange that lines up perfectly with the holes in the backer. It works surprising well and very useful when using a thicker backer.

We've been working with mostly the trimless so far, haven't done any with the flange yet. Do you add "nodes" to your files or does it just recognize the holes from the backer?
+ yeah we have been talking with their tech support, but they told us that they don't setup files.

 

[Bradley D]

It recognizes holes for the rivet feature. The drain hole feature is different and needs to be added manually at node locations. I'd double check with the techs because I'm a little dated now on the SXP machines and I own a different SDS machine. There is a difference between drain holes and the 1/8" rivet hole in backer feature so make sure you comminciate with them correctly.

 

[Bradley D]

Just ran a drill bit half way through my thumb today. Kind of hard to type. Kind of wishing I had a machine that could do rivet holes on the seams right about now.....

 

[JBurton]

Just ran a drill bit half way through my thumb today. Kind of hard to type. Kind of wishing I had a machine that could do rivet holes on the seams right about now.....

I was reading you guys' exchange this morning, then had to go out and take a look at our accubend freedom (ya know, the cheapest pos made from PVC, that flexes itself under the stress of bending a flange), and telling my guys how your machines can drop a hole right in line for a rivet. Man I hate that machine.
I also feel your pain, though I usually get a phillips tip buried alongside my thumb nail.
For laughs, I had a guy tape the grinder handle down, inside of a metal cabinet, cutting a saddle out. He dropped the grinder, and it jumped all over the cabinet, got his legs in two different places while wearing shorts. No blood, and thankfully he realized it was his own damn fault, but man, seeing a grinder injury like that... no blood, just cauterized flesh.

 

[Bradley D]

-I'm guessing you're not one of those signs shops with a large sign saying 278 days since our last work injury.