Vander-Bend Manufacturing

Bending Metal With Our Minds

At Vander-Bend Precision Sheet Metal, we believe in the power of the mind.

Because all of the high-tech equipment in the world can't accomplish what a single, thoughtful human can: provide smart solutions to our customers.

If you haven't worked with us yet, why not come by for a tour? We would be glad to tell you more about specific capabilities and quote any upcoming jobs.

No hard sell; just a simple meeting of the minds. After all, isn't it about time you had a supplier that thinks the way you do?

Vander-Bend hires people who are good with their heads as well as their hands, and we work hard to retain them. One way we do that is by emphasizing a team approach and employee ownership, from top management to machinists to engineers.

That's not idle talk. We walk the walk. When we realized we were being hobbled by excessive punch machine set-up time, we asked our employees to study videotape of the process and make suggestions. They responded by reducing the down time by nearly 90%.

Vander-Bend also makes an on-going effort to use progressive practices, including manufacturing "cells" and demand-flow technology.

For every improvement we make within our company, there are time and cost savings for our customers. But even better, those kinds of innovations breed more of the same, often with dramatic improvements to our customers' products.

The Art And Science Of Shielding, And Other Mind-Bending Abilities.
The role of sheet metal companies has undergone a dramatic change since Vander-Bend was founded in 1980.

Traditionally, we provided parts piece-meal; today, much of our business still involves simply building parts, from brackets to fully fabricated cabinet assemblies. But our customers often expect a more complete package of services.

From the small things, like providing electronic transfers of CAD files via e-mail or FTP transfers, to offering a turn-key operation for complete manufacturing, Vander-Bend works hard to exceed those expectations. The result: all-around support to make your job easier and your company more successful.

Many of our customers have found our concurrent engineering support invaluable, especially early in the design stages. Vander- Bend engineers have extensive design experience and capabilities, and can recommend design modifications that will reduce the cost and time required to manufacture your part or product. Our QuickPath Prototype Program has been developed to meet the need for rapid turn-around at this stage.

Our engineers have earned a reputation for EMI and RFI shielding expertise. In fact, we have an arsenal of ideas to cost-effectively block electronic noise, from shield cans to completely sealing an enclosure.

With Vander-Bend's engineering support, you can be sure that you are creating the most buildable and cost-effective design to keep you on schedule and within budget.

Speaking of time and money-savings, we can share plenty of ideas, including some that may surprise you. Consider the omnipresent 19" rack mount. You can get them from a catalog cheaply. But we can produce them better, faster, and for less - even when they've been customized.

And to help reduce your production and warehouse costs, Vander- Bend can provide just-in-time delivery, as well.

When you're talking quality control, there are as many standards as there are companies. What's a supplier to do?

At Vander-Bend, we took the bull by the horns. We've developed a process control-based system of our own. It details specific steps which are to be completed to meet a particular quality level. Customers know exactly what they are getting -- no guessing. The idea is to build quality into each part by carefully controlling the process, rather than inspecting quality into the part.

And although we believe people are the key to quality, that doesn't preclude using the best equipment. For example, Vander-Bend uses numerically-controlled punches, brakes, and lasers for the highest level precision. However, we don't buy just any whatchamajig because it's new. If it doesn't present a real improvement over existing equipment, you won't see it on our floor. By avoiding frivolous expenditures, we keep your costs down.

Simply keeping jobs on schedule is a quality issue of its own. Jobs are tracked through the Vander-Bend plant by a computerized job control system using bar codes. We can tell you on a minute's notice exactly where your job is in the system. If you've ever had a supplier leave your job in a corner for a week, you will understand the advantage in that.

That's the kind of extra effort that gets noticed. We have a wall covered with plaques given in appreciation by our customers. Most significantly, Vander-Bend has achieved continued and steady growth of over 25% a year. We now occupy both a modern, clean 105,000 sq.-ft. facility in Silicon Valley, and a leadership position in the sheet metal industry.

Let's Put Our Heads Together.
If you haven't worked with us yet, why not come by for a tour? We would be glad to tell you more about specific capabilities and quote any upcoming jobs. No hard sell; just a simple meeting of the minds. After all, isn't it about time you had a supplier that thinks the way you do?