Unison to offer Mackma’s mandrel-free tube bending machines

Oct 14, 2024

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Unison Ltd, the inventor of ultra-precise all-electric tube manipulation, has started to offer the Mackma range of mandrel-free (empty bending) rotary draw tube and pipe bending machines, alongside its own product range.

“It’s no secret that our industry leading all-electric Unison Breeze and hybrid-electric Unison Synergy tube bending machines are a trusted choice across sectors as wide ranging as aerospace, automotive, architecture, shipbuilding and the rapidly evolving energy industry,” said Unison Ltd’s joint managing director, Alan Pickering.

“We do, however, recognise that not every organisation requires the absolute ‘minimal ovality’ or speed of production that mandrel bending provides.”

For that reason, earlier this year Unison Ltd set about choosing a manufacturer of high-quality mandrel-free tube bending machines that it would be happy to represent through its UK and USA divisions, and global agent network.

Unison Ltd’s search led to the Lazio headquarters of Italian tube bending machinery manufacturer, Mackma. Having met with Mackma and thoroughly tested its tube bending machinery, the Unison team was more than satisfied with the quality of Mackma products, as well as the company’s ability to supply consumables and service items as and when required.

To begin with, Unison Ltd will offer Mackma’s ‘standard line’ of single-stack rotary draw bending machines. The Mackma range commences with the BM34 (a small machine designed to bend pipes of up to 33.4mm in diameter and 3.38mm wall thickness), with models increasing in capability right up to Mackma’s BM300, a 273mm maximum diameter machine for the large, thick-wall tube typically used in oil & gas, shipbuilding and numerous energy sector applications.

Engineered for maximum versatility, Mackma tube and pipe rotary draw benders are capable of both left-hand and right-hand bends and can produce a wide range of bending angles and radii on metals including steel, copper and aluminium.

“Mackma’s mandrel-free tube bending machines will be particularly well-suited to organisations that are involved in R&D, prototyping activities and less demanding workflows,” added Pickering. “These are typically where wall thickness and the type of material to be bent will ensure a tube retains its shape throughout the bending process – all without the need for a mandrel to prevent wrinkling, breakage and springback.

“Robust and well made,” he continued, “Mackma machines are also exceptionally competitively priced. Rest assured, however, whatever a customer’s tube bending requirements happen to be, we will always recommend the most suitable machine for the job. And, if that happens to be a Mackma machine supplied by us, it will come with the same high levels of service and technical support as offered with our own range of Unison Breeze and Unison Synergy machines.”

In addition to Mackma’s mandrel-free tube bending machines, Unison Ltd will also offer the company’s novel range of metal waste briquetting machines. “Mackma is also a leader in developing products that help manage metal waste,” said Pickering.

“With a variety of models for organisations that generate small, medium and large volumes of swarf, metal chips, and even grinding sludge, Mackma briquetting machines deliver incredible compacting power, volume reduction and liquid recovery, making recycling a far more efficient process. They offer the potential to increase the value of recycled waste significantly, as well as driving down an organisation’s carbon footprint.”

Talking about Mackma’s arrangement to sell its mandrel-free tube bending machines and briquetting machines through Unison Ltd, Unison Tube LLC in North America and Unison Ltd’s global agent network, Mackma’s head of business development, Davide Pannier Suffait said: “We are delighted that Unison Ltd has chosen to offer our high-quality products to its extensive customer base.

Established in 2002, Mackma has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its bending and metalworking machine tools – machinery that will complement the tube bending machines, laser-cutting machines and wire bending technologies that are already available through the Unison family of companies.”