Unison Ltd’s joint managing director, Alan Pickering

Scarborough-based Unison Ltd, the UK-based inventor of all-electric tube manipulation, has acquired Dorking-based wire and small tube bending machinery maker, Pneuform, for an undisclosed sum. The strategic acquisition further underpins Unison Ltd’s position in the market and paves the way for the company to become a key provider of machinery to the international wire bending and coil forming sectors.

Pneuform will now benefit from direct access to the many advancements that Unison has brought to tube and pipe manipulation — and help it achieve even greater sales success going forward.

Alan Pickering, Unison’s joint managing director, said: “We have known the team at Pneuform for many years and are hugely impressed by their product range, extensive knowledge of wire-forming technologies, and high levels of customer care. In welcoming Pneuform to the Unison family, we look forward to enhancing the business’s existing, excellent machine tool range with our advanced, user-friendly control systems and simulation software. With our locations in the north of the UK and in the Midlands, and with Pneuform’s headquarters in the south of the country, we also look forward to providing Pneuform’s British customers with even higher levels of service.

Mr Pickering added: “The Pneuform name will be retained, as will its rich heritage. While to ensure that Pneuform is able to further develop its position as a leader in wire and small tube bending machines, we have a number of new machine tool technologies in the pipeline. We are convinced these new machines will be of particular interest to organisations producing tubular components for the automotive, EV, electronics, solar energy and refrigeration industries. Further announcements will be made in due course.”

Pneuform was a pioneer of CNC 3-D wire bending. Today its wire and small diameter tube bending machines have become the industry standard with manufacturers of beer coolers, drink dispensers and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment, as well as with makers of small diameter automotive parts. Pneuform’s range of wire bending machines includes rotary head models, flat rotary line bending machines and enamelled wire bending machines. Available in two-axis and three-axis versions, Pneuform machines cater for outside tube diameters ranging from 3 to 11mm in stainless steel and 3 to 15mm in copper.