# Any experience with Greenlee BendWorks?



## bill39

I'm sure this works but won't it only be accurate if the equipment is set *exactly* as shown on the drawing?

http://www.greenlee.com/products/BendWorks.html

Don't the smart-phone apps do basically the same thing?


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## cabletie

Any experience with bendworks?
No and probably never will

Don't the smart phone bending apps do the same thing?
Not even close. The bending apps are for one bend at a time and then you manually mark the conduit and manually bend it. Bend works takes your Revit model and turns it into a spool drawing. From that it will robotically bend all your conduit. You just keep feeding the machine conduit. 

Maybe things have changed since the last time I looked at it a year ago, but I think it only works with Revit. So if your using AutoCAD MEP for your spatial coordination with the other trades your out of luck. That part doesn't make any sense because Revit really isn't design to fabrication software by itself. AMEP has been the design to fabrication go to for quite a while. Autodesk has been pushing Revit on the trades for a while now. It just isn't there yet by itself. For that you need add on software like SysQue. At that point your into it for around $12,000. Eventually I think Autodesk will do away with AMEP. They don't want to be like GM with the same cars with different emblems. That will suck because routing conduit in Revit is horrible compared to AMEP. 

As far as only working if everything is installed per plan. That is true. But most time it has to be installed per design. Hundreds of hours go into coordination. Once it's signed off on, it goes into fabrication then installation. If there are any hits, they go to the model. The one that's in the wrong space looses. Many times it's down to the inch. If it can't be fixed by the looser, the looser pays the winner to move his stuff. 

If it's something like a duct in dedicated space. It should have been picked up during coordination by the EC's detailer. If it wasn't the EC pays the mechanical contractor to move his duct.

Here's a picture of a spool drawing from SysQue.


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## glen1971

cabletie said:


> As far as only working if everything is installed per plan. That is true. But most time it has to be installed per design. Hundreds of hours go into coordination. Once it's signed off on, it goes into fabrication then installation. If there are any hits, they go to the model. The one that's in the wrong space looses. Many times it's down to the inch. If it can't be fixed by the looser, the looser pays the winner to move his stuff.
> 
> If it's something like a duct in dedicated space. It should have been picked up during coordination by the EC's detailer. If it wasn't the EC pays the mechanical contractor to move his duct.


One client did a 3D model for a plant expansion. They showed a 12" cable tray running to the south with 4 waterfall elevation changes including one through a 10" process pipe.. I asked who drew this and signed off on it? They never caught it.. Looking at the steel it was about a 6-10" elevation change over the entire length of the 4 waterfall transitions. I showed this to them and suggested they delete the waterfalls and build the structural to match it. Eliminates the cable pulling nightmare, tray through a pipe and a huge eyesore.. $180,000 for the client to get the welders to fix the structural steel and all was good.


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## cabletie

Or do a search for Greenlee autobend 3D


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## macmikeman

Everybody in this video is all dressed up in clean clothes. Just saying.


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## TGGT

macmikeman said:


> Everybody in this video is all dressed up in clean clothes. Just saying.


That's because the program does your laundry too.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## Cow

TGGT said:


> That's because the program does your laundry too.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


It's Greenlee, so the laundry option can be added for an additional cost of $5499.99.


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## LuckyLuke

That looks like a very expensive dust collector....


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## glen1971

Very portable too..


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## WrongWire

Oh just wait until Bender hears about this...


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## bill39

As the original poster, I have a followup question: Is this software supposed to be used to tell the electricians where to put the marks on the pipe and how much offset/kick/90 will be needed, or is it just a tool for designers?


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## cabletie

bill39 said:


> As the original poster, I have a followup question: Is this software supposed to be used to tell the electricians where to put the marks on the pipe and how much offset/kick/90 will be needed, or is it just a tool for designers?


Looking at this flyer. 

https://greenlee-cdn.ebizcdn.com/media/Bendworks_brochure screen view.pdf

For a non-smart bender it looks like you would export your spool drawing to a text file. This file would probably give you your bend marks from the end of your conduit. It would probably give you the tag number for your part, so you can keep track of your pieces, and know where they get installed. 

With a smart bender it would export your spool drawing to .csv file. I would imagine you plug it into the bender with a thumb drive. The bend marks would show up on the display so you can mark your conduit. The bend would be programmed into the bender. 

With the AutoBend, you load the .csv file and conduit into the bender, then leave and get coffee. 

All three methods would require you to have your conduit modeled into Revit first. If you are doing your coordination with Revit, it seems like a great way to get your information out of the model and into the field. 

I don't use Revit so I would not be able to use Bendworks. I don't do spool drawings either. I do get a lot of information from our coordination drawings. I export a bill of material which would include all the bends if you wanted to by manufactured bends. All trappezzes are prefabricated. All anchors are placed before floors are poured. 

On the shop drawings all the trappezzes are tagged. All bend angles are tagged. All elevations are tagged. Just looking at the plan view you could make all your bends. You could make them ahead of time.


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## cabletie

WrongWire said:


> Oh just wait until Bender hears about this...


Now would be a good time for a history lesson for the young guys. The story of John Henry sung by the legendary Johny Cash. 






Wish I could find the live in Folsum prison version.


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