A new hybrid-electric mandrel tube-bending machine from
Unison Ltd is helping
Klarius Products Ltd, the UK’s largest manufacturer of after-market emissions control products, to develop the increasingly complex exhaust systems that are used in today’s petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles.
Installed in the new product development area at Klarius’ 5.6-hectare manufacturing site in Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, the machine — an 80mm maximum tube diameter Unison Synergy model — is already reducing new product prototyping and development times by 30 to 50% depending upon complexity. Delivering uncompromising levels of accuracy and repeatability, it is typically used to bend mild steel tube ranging from 32 to 70mm in diameter, and for tight radius bends of up to 1.5-times diameter.
Doug Bentley, Klarius‘s head of product development, said “We are renowned for producing the highest quality, type-approved after-market vehicle exhaust products. We offer more than 11,000 different parts and provide replacement emissions control solutions for more than 24 million vehicles in the UK and some 152 million vehicles in Europe.”
Leading the way in after-market emissions control products, however, means staying ahead of the game. That is why Klarius took the decision last year to invest in a new mandrel tube bending machine to assist in new product development. Mr Bentley added: “The ongoing drive for more energy-efficient vehicles, with greater gas-flow through larger diameter tubing — and all within the constraints of more tightly packed engine bays — means tighter bends and increasingly complex after-market products. By investing in the latest mandrel tube bending capability today, we are future-proofing our design capability, and reducing the time it takes to develop first-class components.”
Quality and performanceHe continued: “Having made the decision to purchase a mandrel tube bender for NPD, we considered a number of machines. We decided to opt for the Synergy hybrid-electric model from Unison based on its quality and performance. Moreover, the fact that Unison is a UK manufacturer gave us a great deal of confidence in terms of future support. A visit to Unison’s Scarborough headquarters for a product demonstration also confirmed the company’s understanding of our needs.”
Following a factory acceptance test, the Unison Synergy tube bender was installed at the Klarius manufacturing site last autumn. Mr Bentley said: “The installation process was trouble-free and included two days of operator training to ensure we were up and running very quickly. Since commissioning, the machine has consistently produced good quality parts that are ready for scaling up for mass production.
Mr Bentley added: “On the handful of times that we have needed support, typically when we were getting to know the machine, Unison’s support staff were quick to respond, either visiting us on site or dialling in. To enable us to use our existing bend tooling, Unison also supplied us with adapter blocks. They are currently assisting us in the development of bespoke tooling for new exhaust products.”
“One of the big advantages of working with Unison is that just like Klarius, it is a UK company. Unison talks our language, understands our business, appreciates the importance of rapid support and has an excellent understanding of our goals and objectives. When we first began our search for a new tube bender, we did consider a machine from a manufacturer in the Far East, however the levels of support offered appeared vague.”
Andy Worthington, Unison’s international sales manager, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to equip Klarius with a new Unison Synergy hybrid-electric tube-bending machine. Doug and his team have been hugely appreciative of the work we put into ensuring the Synergy machine met their needs and we are particularly pleased to hear of the considerable time savings it is already bringing to the company’s new product development initiatives.”
Individual and repetitive tube bending tasksUnison’s range of hybrid-electric Synergy tube benders combine precise electric control with advanced, near-silent hydraulic operation. Developed for manufacturers and sub-contractors who carry out both individual and repetitive tube bending tasks, Synergy machines are available in 50 and 80mm (maximum tube diameter) versions. Standard features include Unison’s user-friendly Unibend touchscreen control, leading motors and drives, exceptional power and rigid mechanical design. Synergy mandrel tube benders offer functionality and user-friendly features similar to Unison’s industry leading, all-electric Breeze range of tube-bending machines, but at a more accessible price.
Key features includelectric control with advanced, near-silent hydraulic operation; 50 or 80mm collet capacity; exceptional power and rigid mechanical design; dual-stack bending – for combined bending and roll-forming applications; user-friendly Unibend touchscreen control system; choice of industry leading motors and drives; 3-D component simulation and measuring machine interfaces; renowned Unison quality and reliability; designed for individual and repetitive tube manipulation tasks; and servo-driven bend arm, carriage, plane of bend and carriage side shift.
Unison Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer of tube and pipe bending machines and continually innovates the tube and pipe bending marketplace. The company manufactured the world’s first all-electric tube bender in 1994, followed by the world’s first all-electric multi-stack tube bender, then the world’s largest all-electric tube bender for the shipbuilding industry. Available in single-stack, multi-stack and right/left varieties, Unison machines are delivered to more than 20 countries globally. Unison’s tube-bending software is recognised as the most user-friendly control system for tube-bending machines. The software is written and supported by Unison, ensuring complete control of its evolution, with no need for third-party support.