Carving your own path

Since their debut some 50 years ago, CNC routers have advanced considerably, moving beyond their original environment in industrial manufacturing. With the development of specific machines for the sign-making sector, CNC routers have become a key piece of equipment for many sign-making businesses of all sizes.

However, for those who currently outsource routing services, the decision whether to bring routing in-house is a significant one. For instance, will the return on investment justify the purchase cost of such a piece of capital equipment? Can the machine be accommodated within existing workshop space? And what are the benefits of bringing the operation in-house?

Pros and cons

To gauge the pros and cons of bringing routing in-house, who better to ask than some of the major manufacturers and suppliers of CNC routing machines. Not only do they have the experience of providing the sign and print industry with machines specific to its needs, they have also seen the benefits that have been gained by their customers.



Robert Marshall, vice president, market development, at AXYZ International says the advantages are manifold: “They relate primarily to the long-term savings in operating costs that will be achieved, plus the elimination of variables on quality over which companies outsourcing may not have complete control,” explains Marshall. He adds: “More reliable turnaround on output to keep valued customers happy is also more likely with companies that do not outsource their routing/cutting requirements. These are considerations that might not be fully addressed and implemented by a third-party supplier.”

He adds that with required materials becoming ever more costly, in-house routing can help reduce or even eliminate scrap rates by getting the routing/cutting process right the first time, thereby enabling huge savings in production costs.

“Again, this is something over which companies that outsource routing requirements would lose control,” Marshall continues, before explaining: “Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the multiple different machine configurations possible on customised routers (AXYZ router owners now have a staggering 366,918 configurations from which to choose) would be available from a third-party supplier.”

Looking at potential disadvantages, he notes that, for the above reasons, for high-volume users in particular, there are no visible drawbacks.

“For very low-volume users of routing technology, however, there could be short-term financial benefits of outsourcing by removing the need for investment in capital equipment,” says Marshall.

In line with Marshall’s argument is the viewpoint of another key manufacturer and supplier to the signage and graphics industry in this sector, indeed Blackman and White has seen time and again that the opportunities for their customers expand exponentially when they bring digital finishing in-house.

Like Marshall, Blackman and White managing director, Alex White, sees control as a key advantage: “Those opportunities come not just from reducing production time by cutting out the need for subcontract finishing, they also come from the increased level of control that an in-house finishing facility offers. Having a complete in-house print and finish solution offers the opportunity to take back quality control.

“It also helps sign-makers to experiment with which materials are best suited for applications, perhaps even allowing them to suggest to their client a different approach and actually taking a finished sample to demonstrate their reasoning,” observes White.


Blackman and White’s Versa Tech is a versatile cutter with a multi-head feature that has made it a popular choice for sign and print companies requiring accuracy, reliability, and flexibility. The Versa Tech can handle a range of substrates from self-adhesive vinyl, Foamex, Dibond, Foamcore, acrylic, textiles, PVC, sandwich board, card, and paper, making it particularly suitable for the sign and display market and especially those companies who have made the move into digital textile printing. It is available in flatbed, conveyorised, or laser-equipped models for high functionality.

A new era

Complete CNC Solutions, the UK’s exclusive distributor for Italian production routing hardware manufacturer, Protek, and major international brand Tekcel, has also helped many businesses transition into manufacturing their own routed output. Its focus has been squarely on choosing to distribute equipment that puts a premium on the quality of its finished output straight off the bed.

According to Complete CNC Solutions’ managing director, Julian Sage, the question of whether to install a routing capability and bring production in-house is today easier to answer thanks to the availability of equipment such as the new Protek system known as the Unico TT. The system is also a fully featured production scale digital cutter that Complete CNC Solutions claims is capable of outperforming dedicated flatbed print finishing systems.

“Having a serious production router and fully featured digital cutter in one and the same system delivers an element of capability not found in any other routing hardware,” stresses Sage, who continues: “As a result, production class routing is there for the taking when it’s needed and the machine’s time and available capacity is better utilised thanks to the other things it can do.”

Sage adds that exemplary results are possible with very little manual intervention using the Protek Unico TT, which is said to produce routed results that require no further manual finishing.


“That’s a huge benefit to someone bringing routing under their own roof. Finishing marginal quality output takes a lot of expensive labour and time,” comments Sage, adding: “Having a machine that removes the need doesn’t just save time and money, it makes the whole question of satisfying your own needs for production routed output much easier to consider.”

Further extolling the virtues of the Protek Unico TT, Sage affirms: “It’s a ground-breaking product capable of taking businesses forward. It’s a system capable of assuming the role of a primary production routing device and yet versatile enough to carry a business beyond simple routed output. Its capabilities can be explored and exploited on a phased basis and its depth is such that a business with one in the workshop will be able to say yes to any job that comes its way.”

Seat at the table
  
It is an old adage that ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’, so what is the perspective of those ‘at the dinner table’—sign-makers who are currently offering an in-house routing service?

William Smith, a leading trade-only supplier to the sign industry, is a firm advocate of in-house routing. In conjunction with the launch of the Smith brand as its manufacturing arm, the company has recently installed a second and larger-format AXYZ CNC 4000 series router to support its existing AXYZ model.



Production manager at Smith, Martin Rodgers, comments: “Installation of the larger-format AXYZ 4020 CNC router has led to a 30 to 40 per cent increase in output as well as a huge reduction in production time and thus greater profitability. It has also enabled better engagement with and higher volumes of large contract work and in particular that for major corporate ID signage projects.”

Another good example of successful installations in this field is Practical Minds, the Nottingham-based specialist in project management, retail design, manufacture, print and installation, which opted to invest in a Versa Tech cutter from Blackman and White to add value to their offer for clients throughout the UK and EMEA.

The Versa Tech, with a 3,000 x 2,000mm cutting bed, was installed in February 2016 and is allowing the company to complete cutting and finishing processes for their print and plastics division that previously had to be carried out by external suppliers.

Managing director Andy Winstanley says: “The Versa Tech has added another string to our bow, as well as helping us offer a quicker turnaround when working with materials such as card, acrylic, MDF, vinyl, foamex and Dibond. Having the cutter in-house allows us to guarantee the quality of finishing that our customers expect, within the timescales they demand.”

Winstanley formed the company in 2008 and has seen it flourish and increase its team from three to more than 25 by ensuring they deliver excellent quality and service on all projects—something that has been greatly improved by bringing the finishing in-house.

“We looked at other manufacturers but decided on the Blackman and White Versa Tech because we were so impressed by both the machine and the team behind it,” he continues, adding: “Having easy access to servicing and support direct from a British manufacturer is fantastic, and our experience with the Versa Tech so far has been great.

“The quality of installation was excellent and we even ran real jobs during training, including the successful production of inlaid and curved laminates, used for a major tourist attraction on behalf of Merlin Entertainments. The machine proved itself straight away and it was worth making the investment in a bigger machine,” concludes Winstanley enthusiastically.

A word to the wise

Even with its myriad of benefits, bringing routing in-house is clearly not a decision to be taken lightly. Our manufacturers and suppliers offer some words of wisdom.

AXYZ’s Marshall starts the ball rolling: “A prerequisite would be to make sure that the routers to be installed can meet the precise requirements of the work to be undertaken. Furthermore, the machines should be fully configurable and capable of accommodating all future upgrades. Special attention should also be made to the choice of routing/cutting tools and the software employed, as both are critical to the router’s performance.”

Starting from a very practical point of view, White advises anyone considering an investment in a router to make sure they understand the necessary factory floor space that will be required, not just for the machine but also the parts in production and making ready for despatch: “Understanding your products and your market aspirations is also important in deciding on the right cutting machine. As a supplier with a range of products including our custom Orion, Genesis and Master Cut as well as the Versa Tech range, Blackman and White understands it’s important we discuss each customer’s individual needs before recommending a machine.”

Time, experience, training, and back-up are also important factors, as White emphasises: “A certain level of experience is needed to cost effectively manufacture finished parts without making expensive mistakes, wasting materials and cutting/routing parts. However, by working with technical teams such as ours, discussing your precise needs and by putting aside the right amount of time for training, an investment in in-house routing can be a real door opener for new and expanded business opportunities.”

O Factoid: The first handheld power routers were invented in 1915 and were jet motor hand routers, called Onsruters.  O

Taking everything into consideration, it seems that there is everything to play for and very few, if any, disadvantages to bringing routing in-house, provided you research and plan carefully and look to reliable suppliers for advice and guidance. What is more, it can open up a whole new range of business opportunities.

Carve your way to profits

A key element of any investment into CNC routing and cutting equipment is the CAD/CAM design software you run in conjunction with it, which could really could make or break your return on investment.

Vectric is a UK-based software developer in this sphere that has established an impressive reputation for itself and boasts a very large international user-group.

One of its flagship systems is V Carve, which provides an intuitive software solution for cutting 2D design and calculation of 2D and 2.5D toolpaths—along with the ability to import and toolpath a single 3D model. There is also support to import multiple Vectric Clip Art 3D models (V3M) to create advanced 3D assemblies.



A good example of an international V Carve Pro user is Claudio Pontes, which went from hobbyist to full-blown sign-maker through the use of this technology: “I bought VCarve Pro a little over a year ago and since then I have been learning how to program with it. The ability to preview the result is a very strong point of the software. The excellent video tutorials and the affordable price of the software were the main reasons for choosing VCarve Pro.”

Although Pontes programs V Carve Pro and operates the CNC router, it is his wife Marisônia Pontes, with an aptitude for fine arts, who gives the final touch to the parts by applying the stain or paint. Literally creating a perfect marriage of skills.

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