Making tube bending a breeze for global supplier

Stauff, the global manufacturer and supplier of precision fluid power products for a wide range of industries, has purchased two new Unison Breeze 35mm (maximum pipe diameter) left- and right-hand pipe bending machines.

One machine has been installed at Stauff’s manufacturing site in Sheffield. The other has been installed at the group’s production facility in Sydney, New South Wales.

This latest purchase of Unison Breeze machines by the company follows on from the organisation’s recently signed five-year strategic partnership with Unison; an agreement providing all Stauff operations around the world with dedicated in-country support, assistance with product development and other benefits.

Once both new Breeze models are operational, there will be no fewer than 15 Unison tube and pipe bending machines at Stauff’s manufacturing centres around the globe.

“It has been an honour to supply Stauff with so many of our all-electric tube and pipe bending machines over recent years,” comments Unison’s global account manager for Stauff, Steve Chambers. “The latest purchase of two 35mm Breeze CNC machines however is particularly significant. Not only does it further underpin Stauff’s appreciation of the uncompromising levels of accuracy and repeatability that our clean, all-electric tube and pipe manipulation technologies provide, but it also marks the purchase of the first new Unison machines under the strategic partnership agreement.”

“We have worked with Unison for more than ten years,” adds Ken Cleal, head of production at Stauff UK and Stauff global production manager for tube and tube manipulation. “Throughout that time, we have received nothing short of the highest levels of service and support, whether that’s assistance with product development, operator training, or machine tool maintenance.

“Unison machines consistently provide the uncompromising levels of accuracy and repeatably that are essential to our operations. Additionally, Unison’s Unibend operating system is exceptionally intuitive and user-friendly, making it extremely popular with our teams.”

Stauff’s new 35mm Unison Breeze left- and right-hand machines will be used for the manufacture of small run complex components, such as hydraulic lines for braking systems. Materials processed will include aluminium, corrosion-resistant steel and exotic alloys.

With the ability to bend in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, the machines are ideal for parts of complex geometry and will provide Stauff with operational flexibility. Equipped with Opt2Sim, Unison’s sophisticated design for manufacture CAD tube bending simulation software, both machines will also streamline the production of complex, high-value components.

Other Unison tube and pipe bending machines in use by Stauff include 50mm and 100mm multi-stack Breeze machines, 16mm and 35mm left- and right-hand pipe bending machines, 50mm ‘pinball style’ pipe bending machines and Unison EV Bend 1000 16mm OD manual CNC benders. Applications include components and systems for construction, agriculture, arboriculture, oil and gas extraction and processing, food and chemical processing, mining, marine and the rail industry. 

All Unison Breeze machines offer rapid setup, fast tooling changes, high power, rigid mechanical design and all-electric control for right-first-time repeat subcontract work, or immediately after producing a single trial part.

These are attributes that Unison believes make its Breeze models the ultimate tube manipulation machines for businesses specialising in small batch production runs. Unison’s recently upgraded Unibend software has equipped its Breeze machines with cycle time speed improvements in the region of 25% compared to earlier versions.

Available as a retrofit option for Unison Breeze machines that are equipped with the company’s latest Unibend control system, the software also incorporates new teach routines and simulation features.

Unison
www.unisonltd.com