Sign tycoon slams competitors
In an exclusive interview with SignLink, the president of the world’s biggest manufacturer of sign letter bending machines has made an impassioned attack on his Asian-based competitors. One of the firms in his sights, SDS Korea, has reacted to his stinging criticisms through its European distributor Domino Sign.
Monday, 05 Oct 2015 11:31 GMT
Carl Ondracek says that material is fed to the Accu- Bend through continuous rollers, whereas the, ‘Korean machine moves the material inefficiently and slowly’
“The quality, size and power of the components on the Accu-Bend cannot be matched by those making up the smaller Korean or Chinese machines,” says Carl Ondracek, the president of Computerized Cutters—which manufacturers the pioneering Accu-Bend channel letter bending machine. He adds: “With the main Korean supplier you also have to give them a credit card to get technical support after the first year.”
Domino Sign’s managing director, Philippe Bole, responded to this accusation: “SDS has established distributors around the world, which are trained, skilled, and qualified. SDS Korea is always available to answer technical questions.”
The Accu-Bend was the first machine of its type in the world, capable of notching, flanging, and bending a sign letter to its final shape—700 are installed internationally. SDS launched its technology for bending steel rule die for the gasket and material industries in 1998, with its first dedicated channel letter bender coming to market in 2008.
Ondracek continues: “All of the Accu-bends are built on precision steel welded frames that will be true for decades. The Korean frame is a bolted together aluminium frame.
The quality, size and power and size of the components on the Accu-Bend
cannot be matched by those making up the smaller Korean or Chinese
machines”
“The Accu-Bend’s components are also driven by power units with about 2,000 pounds per square inch power available. The notching and cutting on the Korean machine is done with the use of tiny electric motors with not nearly as much power. It also rotates dies, which adds to the risk of accuracy errors and break downs.”
The reaction
Domino Sign has hit back at these arguments from Ondracek, with Bole reacting to his last point by stating: “The feed precision of SDS Korea’s technology is of the order of 1 / 100th of a millimetre and the quality of finish really is one of the best on the market.”
Phillip Bole of Domino Sign says SDS Korea’s technology uses rolling guides and grips to advance or rewind the material reel, allowing for ‘high accuracy and a variable feed rate’
Bole also commented on Ondracek’s views around SDS Korea’s build quality and technical back up: “SDS Korean machine is composed of two distinct parts, an aluminium frame mounted on a steel bottom plate. The parts and tools are bolted to this and they do not move.
“The SDS technology also does not need much power as it can, with 5 bars of compressed air and electric motors coupled, get the same result. Power is nothing without control. The Super Channel Bender also has a hydraulic unit dedicated to cut flange tools and going up to 40 bar pressure.”
The SDS technology also does not need much power as it can, with 5 bars
of compressed air and electric motors coupled, get the same result”
Bole however does acquiesce to one of Ondracek’s criticisms, in which he states: “The Accu-Bend can also change between manufacturing letters, with or without a flange, by one click of the mouse. On the Korean machine you have to physically move parts around.”
“This is true,” says Bole, who adds: “But the establishment of the flange tool takes less than one minute and is no more physically active than a mouse click.”
The Accu-Bend was the first automated sign letter bender of its type
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