The machine, an 80mm (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,” said 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,” commented 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.
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 80mm 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 80mm (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 50mm (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”), 80mm (3”) and 13 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.
