Single tube bending solution for furniture manufacturer

Headquartered in Portugal and since its formation in 1960, AMOB has evolved to become one of the largest manufacturers of tube and pipe bending equipment in the world. Its UK facility in Coventry has seen a marked increase in turnkey and bespoke project work in recent years – a shining example being the installation of a new tube bender at the Stockport facility of global furniture manufacturer Boyco. Dave Tudor caught up with AMOB UK’s Tyler Murray to find out more.

DT: Can you give me a resume of AMOB’s range of products and services?

TM: AMOB UK provides one of the biggest ranges of specialised equipment for the tube and pipe bending industry worldwide – ranging from simple machinery, to complex fully automatic, fully electric CNC production cells.

As a leading manufacturer specialising in mandrel, rotary draw and section bending, we design and develop products for bespoke applications in a range of industries, including automobile, shipping, offshore installations, aeronautics, chemical, construction, and power. In addition to supplying physical products, AMOB UK are proud to offer exceptional aftersales support that we believe is the best in the business.

DT: Tell me about your UK facility in Coventry

TM: AMOB has been operating with a UK office since 2017, but has served the UK market for decades. With an ever-increasing number of machines in the UK, it was beneficial to have a dedicated facility here to both fulfil increasing demand and serve existing customers more effectively and efficiently.

The UK headquarters in Coventry is not only home to our offices, but also a stocked warehouse of spare parts, tooling, and off-the-shelf machines. Additionally, the UK-based staff comprises engineers, project managers and a dedicated start-up manager, committed to ensuring new customers are properly looked after with their new investment.

This is a good example of AMOB’s commitment to a continued working relationships with our customers after the sale has completed. Aftersales services are a key component that we are proud to put a lot of energy into. In my opinion, our continued support is a vital aspect that sets us apart from the competition. 

DT: I would guess that your business is made up of a combination of ‘off the shelf’ machines and turnkey projects but what’s the split? Would you say that bespoke, customised solutions is a growing aspect of your business? How would you like the marketplace to view AMOB?

TM: In recent years, bespoke and customised solutions have accounted for the majority of the projects undertaken by AMOB, slowly overtaking the sale of off-the-shelf solutions. AMOB UK are keen to be recognised as leaders of the pack in supplying the perfect machine for the application. We don’t want to supply just a machine that is up to the task; we want to provide a solution that is perfect for the application. Turnkey packages are what we are do best.

DT: Let’s move onto the Boyco project. With a customer base spanning Stockport to Siberia, Boyco has been manufacturing fixed furniture and equipment for more than 50 years. With literally thousands of successful projects under its belt, the company manufactures most of the fittings used in its products at its purpose-built factory in Cheshire. So how did your relationship with Boyco evolve?

TM: Boyco was a new customer who approached us for a solution. The problem was they had two very old and outdated tube bending machines that were unable to perform reliable tooling changeovers which meant they had two machines with a single set of tooling on each.

Boyco needed to bring their machinery into the 21^st century to remain competitive. They needed a highly reliable, single machine to replace the two older models that could perform quick tooling changeovers.

DT: Did Boyco know what they wanted or did you act as a consultant and guide them down the right path?

TM: Boyco knew they needed a mandrel bender but were unsure what model to go for so they were happy to be led by our sales team. The new MDH-60-CN1 NC tube bender was the right choice from an operational perspective, but equally as important fell within their budget.

DT: With the Boyco project, AMOB UK handled everything from start to finish. What did this involve and what did you supply?

TM: AMOB UK handled much of this project without the customer needing to lift a finger. This included delivery of the machine, installation, commission, and onsite staff training. However, we also took care of the removal of their old machinery, which was taken on a part exchange basis against the new machine.

This meant virtually no production downtime at all, keeping any disruption to an absolute minimum. The entire project from initial contact to sign off was around 12 weeks

DT: On reflection, are you happy with the way the project panned out?

TM: This was a very successful install. Boyco have made a valuable transition from old to new technology and I’m sure this is just the start of a longstanding business relationship. According to our service and start up manager Rob Manners, the new tube bender enables Boyco to produce better quality bends faster and more efficiently with zero ovality.

DT: Why do you think prospective customers should choose AMOB over the competition? What’s your USP?

In our opinion, there are several reasons to choose AMOB UK over other suppliers. From design to manufacture, everything is in-house, allowing us ultimate control over our lead-times and product quality.

In addition to this we are very proud of our continued customer support throughout the life of the machine. We’re just as passionate about growing and developing our products as we are about our client relationships.

DT: Tell me a bit more about the MDH-60-CN1 NC tube bender from a specification/technical perspective? What are its specific strengths and more fundamentally, what was it designed to do? Where does it sit in your product portfolio?

TM: The MDH-60 tube bender has a capacity to bend 60mm diameter tube with a 3mm wall thickness. Although Boyco opted for a CN1 model, it comes in three standard variations of automation.

CN1, in Boyco’s case, solely controls the bend angle of the tube via CNC automation. Further to this, the CN2 model includes CNC bend angle operation and CNC tube rotation. Lastly, a fully CNC equipped machine of the same model would control the bend angle, tube rotation, and additionally the positioning of the tube, allowing for a single push of a button to produce a complete complex part.

The MDH machines are entry-level to AMOB UK’s mandrel bender portfolio and are the bread and butter of our range. They are sturdy and reliable machines that we produce in high volumes at our Portugal manufacturing plant.

Among many other products, Boyco’s initial product enquiry included the requirement to process bike stands, grab rails, shower rails and more. We’re delighted to be working with such an innovative and internationally renowned British manufacturer.

AMOB UK
https://amob.co.uk

Boyco
www.boycouk.com