SloanLED is a lighting company that provides innovative application-based light solutions to their customers. They create custom bends with the use of handcrafted wooden molds that match the customer specified designs. LEDStripe and ColorLINE plastic extrusions are then inserted in these molds and heat soaked in an oven at 203℉/95℃ for 45 minutes, then removed to allow for cooling before separating the two. This current process requires new molds for each design making it economically and environmentally inefficient as well as time-consuming.  

Our final project must be capable of achieving SloanLED’s advertised range of acceptable radii while also accommodating the size of both materials. Target specifications include: a minimum bend radius of 9”, the ability to withstand 203℉/95℃, and total assembly weight between 15 and 30 pounds. 

Our solution to SloanLED’s problem is through a movable fixture and guide system called The Bendy Board. Fixtures can rotate freely about their vertical axis while being fixed at variable locations along t-tracks which are set into a CNC machined wooden board. Using the bend radius and arc length as variables in a custom Excel spreadsheet, we dictate where fixtures must be tightened on the t-track. Each fixture consist of a U-shaped housing, spacer, spring, and attachment components. The spacer creates thin slots which hold the metal guide in place and creates a smooth curvature as the fixtures rotate. Lastly, the wooden board provides stability for the t-tracks and a simple method of transporting the assembly.