Tips and questions to think about for people thinking about buying a surfboard shaping machine.
Tips
Do your diligence.
Questions:
How well do the boards come off the machine?
How much time is required in the finishing bay?
How many boards can the machine do in an hour?
Can the machine be run overtime, say 18 hours in a day or more, if needed?
To whom do I speak with if the machine needs maintaince? The person who designed and built it? What about if the controller needs help, is that in house or a 3rd party vendor?
How much experience do the designers of the system have?
How easy is the software to learn?
Software and hardware integration: How closely does the software team with the machine design team?
Price? Bang for the buck?
Who actually builds the machines in case the manufacturer needs to be contacted?
Who actually builds the controllers?
Can the machine do large boards, like stand up paddleboards?
Is the system actively being improved?
How easy is it to load a 6'6" blank and then load a 8'6" blank?
Can the machine cut other types of materials? Balsa? EPS? etc.
How easy it is to train someone to run the machine?
When running a cutting service, do the customers have easy access to the design software?
How much does it cost them?
What is the level of customer service that will be received?