This post is about a channel letter bending machine installation in Campbelltown, Sydney.
Channel letter bending machine mainly used for letter making in signage. Stainless steel and aluminum coils or strips are the possible raw material which can be processed.
This machine was more than two years seating there, not working properly.
Please check PDMach other projects in the channel letter bending machine here and here
Channel letter bending machine installation
Main operation check
Firstly, the main power connection to computer, monitor and CNC/servo system checked to turn it on properly.
The control hardware is very similar to a 4-axis CNC controller.
The special letter bending software converts lines and curves in the design file to different movements of feeder, left bending arm and right bending arm. Also an encoder measures the strip movement.
Usually, two pneumatically activated grippers guide the strip into the channel for processing.
The way machine slots or cuts required points are selectable. In material definition section, it’s optional to select knife or cutter for slotting and cutting. For 1.6mm and 2.0mm aluminum, letter cutter worked very effectively.
Processing control setting
Real job starts with “Device initialization”. It is recommended to home some of the axes, too.
In material setting, material and profile have to be determined.
There is standard template to check bend balance and bend force for each separate material and profile.
In fact, for every single material, thickness and strip width bend balance and bend force has to be determined.
How to Calibrate in Channel letter bending machine installation?
Sample processing
Imported DXF files in our Channel letter bending machine installation
The best DXF file for channel letter bending machine is straight line. Complicated shapes like spline and some curves cause processing issues.
The best is to use commands like “Simplify” in AI or other similar commands like in AutoCAD or “Clean UP” in EnRoute to convert complicated objects to simplified straight line segments.