At Unison, we’re recognised as the UK’s leading manufacturer of CNC tube, pipe and wire bending machines, with a track record of firsts including inventing ultra-precise, all-electric tube bending back in 1994. With over 50 years of engineering expertise, we’ve built a reputation for simplifying even the most complex bending challenges.
Proudly based in Scarborough, our roots run deep in Yorkshire manufacturing, and our technologies now serve customers across more than 20 countries worldwide.
We’ll be exhibiting at the Made in Yorkshire Expo on Thursday 16th October 2025 at the Accu Stadium, Huddersfield.
As part of Made in Yorkshire’s Exhibitor Spotlight series, we caught up with the team to hear about Unison’s journey, recent milestones, and what’s next on the horizon.
1) In one sentence – what does Unison do best?
We are the UK’s leading manufacturer of CNC tube, pipe and wire bending machines, and the inventors of ultra-precise, all-electric tube and pipe manipulation.
2) What’s the driving mission or purpose behind Unison right now?
With a world-class range of machine tool technologies and innovative software solutions, all backed by unrivalled levels of aftersales support, our mission is to provide a true one-stop solution for manufacturers and subcontractors involved in precision tube, pipe and wire bending.
Today, the Unison family of companies also includes Nukon Lasers UK – the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of Nukon’s European-built fibre laser cutting machines – and Pneuform, the renowned British manufacturer of CNC wire and small-diameter tube bending machines. Together, we’re committed to offering the most comprehensive choice of technologies to customers.
3) What’s been the biggest change or milestone for Unison in the last 12 months?
The last year has been one of significant growth and investment. Internationally, we’ve entered into a definitive agreement to acquire California-based PHI Hydraulics, a long-established tube bending and end forming machine tool maker. This acquisition will further strengthen our offering across North America and beyond.
Here in the UK, we’ve invested more than £750,000 in specialist bend tooling machinery, giving us the capability to produce hundreds of individual tooling items every day. With tailored tooling agreements for customers and around £200,000 worth of consumable tooling stocked for immediate dispatch, this investment has transformed the speed, quality, and reliability of our precision tooling service.
4) Any exciting new developments on the horizon?
Innovation continues to drive everything we do. Our latest launch is the Opt2Sim Suite – advanced subscription-based tube simulation software that gives manufacturers precise virtual insights into the components they want to produce before a single part is bent.
Alongside this, Opt2Sim Scan brings portable, hand-held 3D tube measurement capability to the market – offering one of the most advanced systems of its kind. And for accessibility, a free-to-use tube bending app can now be downloaded directly from our website, putting powerful tools into the hands of more manufacturers than ever.
5) Tell us one surprising or little-known fact about Unison.
Although it’s mentioned at the very beginning, it’s a fact worth highlighting again: Unison invented all-electric tube manipulation. Before that breakthrough in 1994, manufacturers had to rely on hydraulic machines that were slower to set up and less consistent, with accuracy often impacted by oil temperature and operator skill.
Our Joint Managing Director, Alan Pickering, was part of the original team behind that world-first innovation – a legacy we’re proud to continue building on today.
Come and meet us at the Made in Yorkshire Expo 2025
We’ll be on stand MIY143 at the Made in Yorkshire Expo, Thursday 16th October 2025.
Whether you’re an OEM, subcontractor or innovator in your own niche, we’d love to hear about your challenges. From Scarborough to Silicon Valley, our growth has always been driven by close collaboration with customers – and the Expo is the perfect place to start that conversation.
If you haven't already, make sure you register for the MIY Expo today.
See you there!