In 2008 we started looking for a replacement for our CNC single stack bender. Because we do a lot of short runs we needed a machine that was easy to setup and program. We chose the Starbend model Star800 CN6GL two stack with interpolation bending.
Because of the number of tooling that we had for our existing machines we needed a company that would make a machine that would work using our tooling. Starbend did this for us, saving the time and cost of new tooling. When we do need new tooling it is simple and inexpensive to make.
Before purchasing the machine we ran most of our jobs on single stack rotary benders, some of which required manual rotation of the tube to the correct angle after each bend. On the Starbend our cycle times have decreased by over 75%. The repeatability has improved from piece to piece and from order to order.
The Starbend has been very reliable, when we did have a need for maintenance everything was handled quickly and over the phone with clear instructions as to how fix our problem.
During our learning curve we did have a few questions regarding programming. With the ability to hookup to the machine on the internet they were able to show us what we needed to do to correct the mistakes we made. This saved us considerable time in troubleshooting the program.
If we look to purchase a new machine in the future Starbend will be at the top of our list.
Gene Wrench
Chief Manufacturing Engineer
Middle West Mfg. Corp.
