31 July 2007
AddisonMckee – proven pedigree of tube manipulation expertise on display at EMO Hannover 2007

Bringing a wide range of innovative tube manipulation solutions to EMO Hannover 2007, AddisonMckee has gained an international reputation for the design, manufacture and supply of high quality, industry-leading precision tube-bending and end-forming machinery.

The pioneers of clean, all-electric CNC tube bending solutions, AddisonMckee today operates from state-of-the-art technology and manufacturing centers in Preston, UK; Lebanon, USA; Ontario, Canada and the TEDA export development zone of China, and remains dedicated to assisting companies of all sizes in enhancing their production capabilities, maximizing efficiency and achieving the highest levels of precision through state-of-the-art machinery.

Wide-ranging capabilities

“While a considerable amount of our expertise goes into the creation of leading tube manipulation technologies for those involved in the manufacture of frequently complex car and truck exhaust systems,” comments Director of Global Marketing, Christian Rogiers, “we are also widely recognised for the tube forming solutions and complete work cells we provide to a wide number of other industries.”

“These capabilities,” he continued, “range from extremely versatile machines used to bend tube in the domestic appliance, furniture manufacturing, stair lift, traffic signal, automotive and air-conditioning industries to larger capability models specifically aimed at the aerospace, truck cab manufacture and shipbuilding sectors.”

Assisting the customer

Appreciating that prior to investing in a tube bending solution, customers often need assistance in product prototyping, parts development, small production runs and pre-production sample development, AddisonMckee is also able to provide these capabilities as part of its service. While understanding just how important it is for a customer’s tube manipulation technologies to operate just as reliably as the day they were commissioned, the company also employs a global team of technical and service specialists and incorporates remote diagnostics in the majority of its machines.

Finally, to assist organizations in balancing the highs and lows of ongoing production schedules, the tube forming technologies specialists also offers a range of finance solutions to assist customers in the purchase of the machinery necessary to fulfill their manufacturing goals.

The DB130ESRB

Designed specifically to bring greater efficiencies to the manufacture of exhaust systems for the commercial truck industry, AddisonMckee’s DataBend DB130ESRB (E- all-electric, S – stack, R – multi-radius, B – boost) tube bending machine is designed to significantly reduce tube wastage and considerably improve process cycle time when bending larger diameter tubes on tight multi-radii.

With features including boost up to 12000Nm and a dual boost system utilising collet boost and a boost tube within the tooling area to allow maximum utilization of the tube and reduced tail end scrap, AddisonMckee’s larger machines, such as the DB130 are renowned across industry for their considerable capabilities.

DB75 ESRB

Perhaps the best-known model from the AddisonMckee DataBend range, however, is the company’s DB75ESRB machine, a model based on a totally modular approach in order to enable different size and capability formats to be produced around the same fundamental design, whilst offering significant advantages over conventional hydraulic counterparts.

With a fully programmable 9-axis and CNC control of all movements, the DB75 model ensures that traditional tube manipulation problems are removed. The elimination of manual machine setting, following tooling changes, provides guaranteed repeatability, flexible programming and fast changeover times, whilst greater controllability ensures better bends and vastly reduced wastage.

In addition, DB75 models offer the features common to all AddisonMckee all-electric models, namely: auto setting of all movements, noise levels below 80Dba, clean hydraulic-free operation, improved axis resolution for better repeatability and faster floor-to-floor due to greater axis control.

The all-electric cost advantage

The advantages of AddisonMckee’s clean, safe, highly repeatable and accurate all-electric DataBend tube bending technology over the use of traditional hydraulic processes are well documented. Indeed, in a recent independent analysis by a customer using both hydraulic and electrically operated machinery, verifiable proof of the significant efficiencies of embracing electrical tube bending machinery was achieved.

Comparing a hydraulic 65mm diameter machine with an AddisonMckee DataBend DB75 all-electric model by use of an amp meter with chart recorder for 3 shifts of normal continuous operation, their findings were that based on 237 days at 24 hours a day, the annual electricity costs of the DB75 all-electric model would be only 18.6% of the cost of using the hydraulic tube bender.

About AddisonMckee

2007 winners of The Manufacturer magazine’s World-Class Manufacturing Award – a prestigious award based on an organization’s ability to benchmark, examine and make continuous improvements in all aspects of its operations – AddisonMckee is globally renowned for the design, manufacture and supply of some of the world’s finest tube bending and end forming technologies – for increasingly complex automotive, aviation, truck and shipbuilding requirements.

In addition, AddisonMckee also offers highly innovative tube measuring solutions, tube perforation, piercing and louvring technologies, hydraulic press machinery, muffler assembly solutions, plant automation and complete workcell integration.

In addition to these capabilities, a whole range of tooling and accessory options are also provided, as are comprehensive maintenance and service contracts, training and education programs and financial services. Where applicable, AddisonMckee is also able to offer customers the opportunity of machine rebuilds, refurbishment, upgrades and trade-ins.

From its state-of-the-art manufacturing centers in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and China, AddisonMckee is committed to providing rapid solutions to market and also regularly assists clients in product prototyping, parts development, small production runs and pre-production sample development.

AddisonMckee is principally owned by WHI Capital Partners (WHICP), a Chicago-based private equity group that invests in middle market, industry-leading companies with solid financial fundamentals and proven management teams. WHICP is an affiliate of William Harris Investors, Inc., a family-based asset management firm founded by Irving B. Harris in 1987.

For further information please contact:

Rachel Thomas – BHL Marketing
E-mail: rachel@bhlmarketing.com
Tel:  +44 (0) 1244 851850
Fax: +44 (0) 1244 851888

Christian Rogiers, Global Marketing Director – AddisonMckee
E-mail: crogiers@addisonmckee.com
Tel:  +1 513 228 7076
Fax: +1 513 228 7226