Scarborough-based Unison (www.nisonltd.com) has won an order for a custom-designed tube-bending machine (plus special tooling) from Cybex International, which makes physical-exercise equipment at ‘state of the art’ facilities in Massachusetts and Minnesota.

Nearly all Cybex equipment is based on high-quality tubular-steel frames — produced at its Minnesota plant — that need to combine an aesthetic look and feel with structural strength.

These frames are made from three different sizes of steel tubing with various profiles, including flat-sided oval and compressed octagonal shapes. Producing smooth wrinkle-free bends in such material is technically challenging.

The custom machine designed by Unison is based on a 4in ell-electric CNC machine from the company’s Breeze range.

Senior commercial manager Jim Saynor says: “Most of our machines are used for bending tubes with round profiles, but this application involves a diversity of tube profiles. We have worked closely with Cybex and our tool manufacturer to ensure that the machine we deliver will provide a ‘right first time’ manufacturing solution, from the moment that it is installed.

“This collaboration included videoing existing bending operations to make sure that every iota of Cybex’s specialist know-how is encapsulated in the design of the tools, machine and tube-bending methodologies.”