SBAL-V vs SBAL-III

At-a-glance comparison

Specification	SBAL-V (fully auto)	SBAL-III (semi-auto)
Automation level	Fully automatic, single-operator	Hydraulic semi-automatic
Operators required	1	2
Line speed	16 m/min	14 m/min
Line layout	U-shape, continuous flow	Inline with separate TDF station
Coil width	Up to 1500 mm	Up to 1500 mm
Material thickness	0.5–1.5 mm	0.5–1.2 mm
Material compatibility	Galvanized, stainless 304/316, aluminium, aluminised	Galvanized, stainless 304/316, aluminium, aluminised
TDF flange forming	Integrated inline	Separate station or standalone SBTDF
Pittsburgh lock forming	Integrated inline	Separate SBLC lockformer
Length tolerance	±1.0 mm	±1.5 mm
Width tolerance	±0.5 mm	±1.0 mm
PLC control	Siemens / Delta with touchscreen	Basic PLC, manual sequencing
Installed power	87 kW	15.7 kW
Floor footprint	~30 × 8 m	~20 × 6 m + separate TDF area
Relative capital cost	1.0x (reference)	~0.4-0.5x
Typical payback (vs manual fabrication)	14–22 months	10–14 months

When SBAL-V wins

• High throughput rectangular duct programmes including stainless work
• High labor cost per hour (labor savings drive ROI)
• Tight length and width tolerance requirement — Seal Class A projects
• Single-point accountability preference — one line, one operator, one PLC
• Mixed-spec production where the PLC needs to drive size changes without re-setup
• 0.5–1.5 mm gauge required (SBAL-III tops out at 1.2 mm per catalog)

When SBAL-III still wins

• Throughput modest enough that full SBAL-V automation is underused
• Lower capital budget or first-time investment
• Abundant, lower-cost skilled labor
• Workshops that already own a separate TDF station and want to integrate it
• Projects where the hydraulic notching is preferred
• Galvanized-only duct programmes (no stainless requirement)

Throughput per operator — the real decision metric

Beyond catalogue line speed, the practical metric is square meters of finished duct per operator-hour. Project-specific output depends on duct size mix, downstream balancing and changeover frequency. As a rough working figure for sizing exercises:

• SBAL-V: 16 m/min line speed × single-operator U-shape continuous flow → highest m²/operator-hour
• SBAL-III: 14 m/min line speed × two-operator inline + separate TDF → roughly 1/3 the SBAL-V m²/operator-hour

The SBAL-V delivers roughly 3x the productivity per labor hour. Whether that justifies the capital premium depends on your local labor cost.

Integration with spiral tubeformers

Both lines integrate cleanly with an SBTF-1602 spiral tubeformer for fabricators that do both round and rectangular duct. SBAL-V is typically placed on a parallel bay with shared coil storage; SBAL-III can share coil storage and an overhead crane with the spiral line. See our HVAC duct factory layout guide for full layout planning.

A 30-second decision framework

1. What is your target daily output? Under 800 m² → SBAL-III. Over 1,000 m² → SBAL-V.
2. What is your labor cost per hour? Under $5 → SBAL-III often still pays. Over $15 → SBAL-V always wins.
3. Do you need Seal Class A routinely? Yes → SBAL-V's tighter tolerances matter.
4. Is capital or labor your scarce resource? Capital → SBAL-III. Labor → SBAL-V.

Get a shift-by-shift ROI model for your workshop →

Material handling and footprint differences

The other thing that distinguishes the two lines on the workshop floor is the material‑handling pattern. The SBAL‑V is a U‑shape line that finishes the duct on a single bay — coil goes in at one end, finished duct comes out four metres away from the same end. This shortens the crane travel and lets a single forklift operator keep both the upstream coil store and the downstream finished‑duct store in line of sight. The SBAL‑III is a more traditional inline layout: coil enters at one end, finished duct exits roughly twenty metres downstream, and the separate TDF flange station is set up as a side cell. For a workshop with limited floor area, the U‑shape SBAL‑V is often the only option that fits without extending the building. For a workshop with a long bay and existing TDF tooling, the SBAL‑III is the cheaper drop‑in.

Total cost of ownership over five years

Capital cost is only part of the picture. The honest comparison runs over five years and includes labour, consumables, maintenance, and downtime. On a typical 1,500 m²/day commercial HVAC workshop in a market with USD 15/hr loaded labour cost, the five‑year TCO of an SBAL‑V is roughly 30 percent below an SBAL‑III plus separate TDF station — the labour saving (one operator vs three) more than offsets the higher upfront price. In a market with USD 5/hr loaded labour cost, the SBAL‑III plus separate TDF wins on TCO until the daily output target rises above roughly 1,800 m²/day. SBKJ engineers can build a project‑specific TCO model from the four numbers you already know: daily target, labour cost, electricity cost, and shift count. Ask for it in your first enquiry and we will run it before quoting.

Upgrade path: starting on SBAL-III, moving to SBAL-V

Many SBKJ customers start with an SBAL‑III and migrate to SBAL‑V five to seven years later when output volume, labour cost, or quality requirements force the upgrade. The migration is straightforward because SBKJ designs the two product families with the same coil width, the same material thickness range, and compatible TDF flange geometry. When the time comes, the SBAL‑III can be re‑deployed to a second bay or to a sister facility, the new SBAL‑V drops into the existing coil store and crane bay, and the operators trained on SBAL‑III can be cross‑trained on SBAL‑V in two to three days. SBKJ also accepts trade‑in credit on the original SBAL‑III when the customer migrates within the SBKJ catalogue.

FAQ

What is the main difference between SBAL-V and SBAL-III?

SBAL-V is fully automatic, single-operator, U-shape flow with integrated TDF and Pittsburgh lock. SBAL-III is hydraulic semi-automatic with separate TDF and lockformer stations and typically two operators.

Which line runs faster?

SBAL-V: 16 m/min line speed, 87 kW total drive, single-operator U-shape continuous flow. SBAL-III: 14 m/min line speed, 15.7 kW total drive, two-operator inline with separate TDF station. SBAL-V wins on m²/operator-hour by roughly 3× because of the U-shape architecture, not raw line speed.

Which line costs less?

SBAL-III is roughly 40-50% of the SBAL-V capital cost. For lower-throughput, lower-labor-cost workshops, SBAL-III can pay back faster. For high-throughput, stainless-capable, high-labor-cost workshops, SBAL-V pays back faster despite the higher upfront price.

Can both lines handle stainless steel?

Yes. Both handle galvanized, stainless 304/316, aluminium and aluminised steel up to 1.5 mm thickness. Stainless runs slightly slower on both due to harder tooling requirements.