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Aluminum Extrusions, or Not?


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Had some conversations with a few shops and the input has been interesting judging from the different sized companies, or maybe it's the economy?

Normally when you make a sign cabinet you have two choices, extrusions or making your own with sheet metal/alum and angles/tubing. Making your own will require a individual or team of individuals who know what their doing obviously.

Now, with the economy the way it is, are you doing more cabinets using extrusions to save on labor, and have layoffs left you having to use more extrusions where you can just whip up a cabinet faster, add a few sides, and angles and weld them up? Waaalaa Done!?!?! Good fab guys are not cheap.

Or is the opposite true? With a bad economy is the business much better off on having a well paid fabricator or a few, make from scratch and from raw materials?

The last time I used some extrusions I did solid alum faces with 3/4" acrylic push thru's and one set was a hinge face the other was a blade sign. but fabrication time was a lot faster.

Hinge Extrusion - Routed face attached to hinge retainers.

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Projecting Extrusion Sign

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Erik, granted we are not a sign shop, but I can tell you that we have sold more straight lengths than kits and cabinets lately. Some shops just seem more willing to fabricate their own cabinets.

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I've seen this go in both directions actually. We have customers who have increased their business with us since they have had to layoff some of their more expensive employees in favor of keeping general labor employees. In this case, they have elected to use more extrusions, both full lengths and kits, when they can and only "custom build" cabinets as a last resort. On the other hand, I have spoke with customers who are doing the complete opposite. Instead of laying off their more expensive and skilled work force, they are letting go of their cheaper labor and holding onto the guys and gals who have been with them for a long time and who have become extremely skilled and valuable craftsman. Going this route, they completely eliminate extrusions from their business in favor of building custom cabinets to 1) keep their employees busy and 2) to differentiate themselves from competitors by only building one-off cabinets.

Its a crazy environment right now and the economy is forcing people to take whatever means necessary to keep the lights on. I can see the advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios - neither one is an easy decision especially when it comes to laying off good, hard working people.

There's no question that in many cases extrusions can save a company time and money without sacrificing quality. Many sign companies have grown accustomed to creating one-off style cabinets and their production & fabrication people may feel that their jobs will become invaluable if the company switches to extrusions...

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I think its a bit different with us. We only do wholesale signs for the trade I think a lot of what we build is stuff other shops dont have the skill, or equip or both. We used to sell a lot of the knock down kit type signs but not anymore. Fortunately for us we have some really talented guys and we can build a scratch built sign cheaper than a kit. We do have tons of $$ in equipment that allows it though. I also see a lot less rectangles these days. I am not sure if years ago everyone had so much business and the designers were backed up or lazy. Now most everything has curves and is general much more attractive design wise. I also see some stuff roll thru that 4 years ago may have been illum but is now a 2'' deep alum pan as well.

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