Sharpe Products, one of North America’s leading specialists in custom tube and pipe bending, has purchased its eighth Unison Breeze all-electric CNC tube bender. The machine, an 80 mm (3”) single-stack model, will be installed at Sharpe Products’ Wisconsin-based manufacturing centre, where it will be used to further expand the company’s production capability for its increasingly diverse customer base.
Sharpe Products and UK-based Unison Ltd have a long and proud history of working together. Sharpe’s President and CEO, Paul Krickeberg, bought into the concept of all-electric tube bending many years ago, when it was still a relatively new technology. “Our new Unison Breeze tube bending machine will help further support our capacity to offer short lead times and consistent accuracy – attributes that are essential to our customers,” says Paul Krickeberg. “We’ve been pleased with the work that we can produce on our Unison machines. Unison Ltd is one of our vendors of choice for our tube bending equipment. We’ve worked with Unison Ltd for nearly 20 years and appreciate the quality of their products along with their service and support.”
“We’re delighted that Sharpe Products has chosen to invest in yet another Unison Breeze tube bending machine,” comments Unison Ltd’s Managing Director, Alan Pickering. “Sharpe Products is one of our longest-standing customers. Following the purchase of this latest Unison Breeze model, Sharpe Products will have one of the most comprehensive line ups of Unison’s infinitely controllable all-electric machines in North America. Paul Krickeberg’s insight regarding the value of all-electric tube bending, has helped make Sharpe Products one of the leading specialists in custom pipe and tube bending in the US today. All-electric tube bending technology, with all the advantages of automatic setup, has equipped Sharpe Products with the ability to take on all manner of tube manipulation challenges, including projects involving traditionally difficult to bend alloys.”
The 80 mm single-stack Unison Breeze machine was chosen by Sharpe Products for its ability to deliver the accuracy and reliability necessary to meet the strict tolerances required by the company’s customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive and medical device. It is equipped with Unison’s recently upgraded Unibend software, which offers cycle time speed improvements in the region of 25% compared to earlier versions and incorporates new teach routine and simulation features.
Like all Unison Breeze tube bending machines, the 80 mm (maximum tube diameter) Breeze offers rapid setup, fast tooling changes, exceptional power, rigid mechanical design, and all-electric control for right-first-time repeat sub-contract work, or immediately after producing a single trial part. These are all attributes that Unison Ltd believes make its Breeze models the ultimate tube manipulation machines for businesses specialising in small batch production runs. Other Unison Breeze machines operated by Sharpe Products include a 50 mm (2”) Unison Breeze-Revolution tube bender – a machine equipped with a novel rotating head, enabling it to make left-hand and right-hand bends in one continuous manufacturing cycle. Sharpe also has 76 mm (3”), 80 mm (3”) and 130 mm (5”) multi-stack Breeze machines - machines able to accommodate several tools for rapid changeover in between bending cycles - and a 100 mm (4”) single-stack model.
Unison Ltd: intelligent tube technology
Established in 1973, Unison Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer of tube and pipe bending machines, offering the largest range of all-electric benders for diameters from 4 mm (5/32”) to 275 mm (10” schedule pipe). With a reputation for building highly powerful, highly robust machines that deliver uncompromising levels of accuracy and repeatability, Unison Ltd 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.