Analysis Project Define Parameter by Samuel Curcio

Description of the Setting

WGS Engraving and Graphics is located in Gainesville, FL. The company was established
approximately seven years ago by its original owner, Bill Richardson.
Currently, the business is operating with two full time and one part time employees. This staff
includes Bill Richardson, Tom Faust, and Sam Curcio. The companys services encompass the
production of custom signage and graphics for local organizations and institutions. On some
occasions, due to some of the machinerys capabilities, the company has had requests to produce
items outside of the realm of the sign industry.
Bill would like to expand his operation to cover all of Florida and outwards to the Southeast
United States. He also envisions a time when he can offer his services to the global market
through a planned online ecommerce website. Since he has the facilities to handle the extra
work, an international initiative would not be a problem.
WGS Engraving has on staff some of the most knowledgeable sign makers in the northcentral
region of Florida. Their experiences in the field average approximately twenty years. As such,
the company is constantly getting requests for custom work from organizations such as the
University of Florida, Red Cross, Shands Medical Center, and Santa Fe College.
WGS Engraving is located in an industrial park setting with easy access to surrounding
businesses and institutions. There are several other sign shops in the area, yet none of them have
the manufacturing capabilities of WGS Engraving. The equipment used in the production of
signage at the company will be discussed further in the Roles of Technologies section of this
report.
Each member of the staff has specific duties, however their knowledge does overlap to some
extent. This means that one employee can do the work of the other, although not to the expertise
of the person mainly responsible for that section of the business.
Even though it uses high-tech equipment, the vinyl sign production department is the least
complicated of all the areas within WGS Engraving. Most employees new to the sign industry
get their feet wet creating signage composed of vinyl applique that is adhered to a variety of
substrates (e.g. aluminum, plastics, and wood). Since this is the case, no one member of the
company is designated as the head of this department -- each employee uses the facilities as
needed.
The engraving department is composed of several CNC machines used in the production of
certain types of signage. Bill operates and maintains this machinery since he has the most
experience with the equipment. He got his start over thirty years ago at the University of
Floridas sign shop, where he was first introduced to this technology.
The work in Bills department includes fabricating 4x8 foot aluminum signs faces, cutting letters
and graphics from material of different thicknesses, and making parts that are used in producing

ADA room signs. It is a highly skilled area because of the tight tolerances that are required by
many jobs. Therefore, the operator of the machinery must be skilled in geometry, material
engineering, and computer processing. Without those abilities, there would be numerous
mistakes that could lead to expensive material losses and damage to the machines. If Bill is not
attentive, he could possibly cause a shutdown to his business, as those machines are crucial to
WGS Engravings operations. When problems with the equipment do arise, he is knowledgeable
enough to look after the repairs himself.
The printing department is operated by Tom Ward. It is composed of large format digital printers
that can output banners and signs in full color. Tom has been employed in the sign industry for
well over ten years. In the past, he managed shops that focused exclusively on digital printing.
Therefore, when Bill decided to expand his operations to include print, he hired Tom to
administer that department.
When Tom is not operating the printers, he is can be found designing the graphics that will go on
the products he outputs. His role requires that he know about color management and computer
graphic design, so as to get the proper results from the digital printers. Tom must also be skilled
in equipment maintenance in order to keep the machines in proper working condition. Major
issues may require outside help from factory technicians, but those can be costly to WGS
Engraving. Consequently, whatever Tom can do to alleviate that need will save the company
money.
Sam Curcio is typically responsible for the laser engraving department, as well as developing the
advertisement for WGS Engraving. This dual role situation came about because of Sams twenty
years working in the sign industry along with his academic training in web development.
In the sign business, Sam has fabricated just about every type of sign product imaginable, which
makes him able to do most of the work in the shop. As for advertising, the formal training he has
acquired in graphic design and web development, makes him the best candidate to handle the
Internet and print marketing campaigns for WGS Engraving.
Laser engraving, which will be discussed in more detail in the next section of this report, is best
used where precise etching and cutting is required. Due to the nature of the technology, Sam
must understand how lasers effect a variety of materials. Without this knowledge, a fire could
erupt in the machine, which could damage the equipment, or worse, travel beyond to the shop
itself.
Although Bill can produce many of the products that are fabricated with a laser, Sam can
produce those items using less electricity and with far less wasted material. Hence, more of the
jobs are being transferred to the laser department. This it turn means that, in the near future,
WGS Engraving will be investing in more laser equipment, and Sam will be seeing an increase
in workflow. However, there are plans in the works that may completely change some roles in
the shop.
Since Bill seeks to expand into areas outside of Florida, Sam will be required to spend all his
time in the marketing area. Therefore, his role will soon shift from the production floor to the

front office. In doing so, Bill will need to hire additional staff to, not only take Sams place, but
to operate the added laser engravers that will be purchased in the near future.
Roles of Technologies
Signs have been part of trade and commerce for centuries. In the early periods of human activity,
signage was created by the shopkeeper. But, in the Middle Ages, signs became an elaborate
means to advertise a business. There were symbols painted or carved onto signs to distinguish
one trade from another. From then on, craftsmen, such as carpenters and artists were called upon
to create this new form of branding.
In the 19th century, shops specializing in sign fabrication began to appear. They were not that
different from a painter or carpenters workshop because they all used the same type of tools.
However, that changed once computers and machines were developed specifically for sign
making. Soon after that, the once highly regarded sign painter was replaced by technology that
could create signs in less time.
WGS Engraving is a good example of a shop that utilizes every type of technology available for
sign making. Owner and operator, Bill Richardson, decided that his business would be equipped
to handle every conceivable request that came along. Therefore, as budget allowed, he purchased
vinyl plotters, digital printers, CNC router tables, and laser engravers. Each of these technologies
has a unique purpose, yet in many cases, one will complement another depending on the job.
The vinyl plotter is the mainstay of modern sign shops. It is the technology that put the sign
painter out of business. With it, a person without the talent to use a paint brush could create
quality work in less time than a painter. Franchises were established with the vinyl plotter as the
only required piece of equipment. For over twenty years, thousands of individuals made a living
with a plotter and a work table.
The basic steps of sign making with a vinyl plotter are: (1) design the sign on a computer using
CAD software, (2) feed the leading end of a roll of the required vinyl color into the plotter, (3)
send the design to the plotter through a link established between it and the computer, (4) the
plotter cuts the shapes in the vinyl with a tangential blade, and (4) move the cut vinyl to a work
table where the graphics can be applied to sign board or banner. The finished product may not be
a work of art, but it is the most requested type of sign in the business.
A digital printer is in most respects a larger form of the desktop printer. The main focus of this
type of technology is to provide customers with full color signs that feature pictures and
elaborate graphics as part of their design. Its just one more way to catch the attention of
potential customers.
In many sign shops, digital printers are replacing vinyl plotters. The technology has proven that
is can do most of what a vinyl machine can do without the need for multiple rolls of colored
vinyl. This cuts back on inventory requirements and the waste that is acquired from scrap vinyl
that is left over from the production process.

Unfortunately, the sign industry is feeling some pain from the change that is taking place as
shops switch from plotters to printers. Workers employed in making plotters and the rolls of
vinyl are being laid off. Some individuals may be lucky if their employer ramps up production
for digital printer supplies, yet many wont be as fortunate. Change may be good for end users,
but it can hurt those that make the machines. Its all in the name of keeping technologically
advanced enough to produce faster, cleaner, and more efficient products.
WGS Engraving has several CNC routers available to create three dimensional products, such as
raised letters and graphics, from a variety of sheet material. The machines employ cutters
resembling drill bits, spinning at between 10,000 to 20,000 RPM, which cut through stock. The
selection of material ranges from a quarter of an inch to three inches in depth, and composed of
aluminum, plastic, or wood. This variety allows the shop to cater to just about every customers
request.
Since CNC routers are expensive to own and complicated to operate, very few shops have these
machines as part of their inventory. As such, WGS Engraving gets several requests a week from
local sign businesses that need three dimensional products for their own customers.
The basic requirements for a CNC operator are the ability to think geometrically, understand how
materials react to physical forces, and know CAD design. With this knowledge, a person can
create precise shapes from sheet stock. Customers are highly impressed with what can be created
from CNC machines and usually pass the word onto anyone else looking for similar work.
Another type of equipment that WGS Engraving has among its inventory are laser engravers. In
the simplest sense, the machines use a highly concentrated and amplified beam of light to cut
through sheet stock. Two of the main characteristics that make laser engravers highly sought
after in the sign industry are the ability to focus light on very small areas and the lack of leftover
material from production.
Laser machines are one of the relatively newcomers in the arsenal of sign making machinery.
They have been used in major manufacturing and research areas, but the technology has been out
of reach for sign shops due to size and expense. Yet, as technology evolves to allow components
to become smaller and less expensively made, many shops are acquiring lasers in greater
numbers.
The preciseness of lasers means that engraving machines can cut or etch elaborate shapes on
very small items. WGS Engraving has produced lettering and graphics measuring in the
thousandths of an inch on items such as watches, coin blanks, and pens. The laser has also be
employed in the creation of scientific instruments for nearby research facilities.
Although precision is an admirable quality, the characteristic that Bill likes most about laser
technology is the lack of waste from production. In other forms of product creation, cutters and
drills throw off excess material as they move through stock. This means a lot of cleanup once the
process is completed. Through laser cutting and etching, much of the waste evaporates, leaving
products clean of debris. Less cleaning translates to less manpower spent and quicker turnaround
to customers.