Unison Ltd partners with MSL and Creaform to deliver seamless tube-bending inspection workflows

Unison Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer of tube and pipe bending machines, renowned for innovation and technical leadership in the global market. Since creating the world’s first all-electric tube bender in 1994, the company has continued to set industry benchmarks, delivering pioneering solutions including the first all-electric multi-stack bender and the world’s largest all-electric machine for the shipbuilding sector. 

Building on its reputation for innovation, Unison has partnered with Measurement Solutions Ltd (MSL) and Creaform to introduce the HandySCAN Silver Elite into the company’s offering. This collaboration provides customers with an advanced measurement and inspection capability that complements Unison’s tube bending expertise, delivering faster, more accurate and more versatile solutions designed to enhance productivity, reduce bottlenecks and support a wide range of manufacturing applications. 

The Solution 

To meet these needs, Unison implemented the HandySCAN Silver Elite alongside VXinspect, forming a highly portable, accurate and intuitive 3D scanning and inspection solution. The Silver Elite system allows users to capture complex tube geometries quickly and reliably, with data automatically aligned to predefined CAD or nominal models. 

Combined with Opt2Sim, Unison’s proprietary simulation platform, the system provides a closed-loop solution for validating and adjusting tube programs across multiple benders, even from different manufacturers. 

Silver Elite and Opt2Sim Scan in action 

The Silver Elite scanner has already demonstrated its versatility across early trials, with the added benefit of being able to scan a wide range of components, not just tubes. The ability to measure and validate parts quickly using a single solution makes it a valuable tool across multiple production environments. 

When integrated with Opt2Sim, users are able to simulate tube bending processes, check for collisions and feed adjustments directly back into their CNC machines, improving first-time yield and reducing scrap.

HandySCAN Silver Elite 

The HandySCAN Silver Elite is a portable, high-accuracy 3D scanner designed for fast, reliable measurement directly on the shop floor. Built for ease of use, it delivers metrology-grade results without the need for specialist training or complex setups. 

With its lightweight design and laser-based scanning technology, the Silver Elite captures precise 3D data on tubes, assemblies and freeform parts in minutes. It’s suitable for manufacturers looking to streamline inspection, reduce bottlenecks and give production teams greater autonomy in quality control tasks. 

Benefits 

The HandySCAN Silver Elite delivers a unique combination of portability, accuracy and versatility that makes it a powerful addition to Unison’s value-added service offering. As a fully portable metrology-grade solution, it allows Unison to provide customers with on-the-spot measurement, inspection, and validation capabilities that go far beyond the limits of traditional fixed or articulated arm systems. 

One of the most significant advantages is its no minimum or maximum tube diameter capability, allowing measurement of everything from small, intricate instrumentation tubes to large industrial pipework. With no restriction on tube length, even continuous runs or oversized assemblies can be scanned without repositioning or dismantling equipment. 

The system’s in-situ measurement capability means that parts can be scanned directly in place, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming removal. This is especially valuable for complex assemblies, such as those found in shipbuilding or heavy industry, where end point to end point measurement can be performed quickly and accurately. The scanner also captures fine details, including flanges, fittings and connection points, for a complete and reliable inspection dataset. 

For Unison’s customers, the speed of measurement and validation is a major productivity boost. Operators can capture and compare 3D data within minutes, delivering immediate feedback to production teams. This reduces downtime, accelerates quality checks and improves throughput. 

Its operator-agnostic design ensures that accurate, repeatable results can be achieved by non-specialist staff with minimal training. Guided workflows in VXelements make scanning simple and intuitive, bringing inspection capabilities closer to the production line and easing pressure on quality control departments. 

The HandySCAN Silver Elite also offers benefits that arm-based systems cannot match: 

• Freedom from fixed measurement volumes, enabling parts of any size to be scanned
• Consistent accuracy in challenging environments, unaffected by temperature fluctuations or vibration
• Full 360° accessibility, with the ability to scan all sides of a part without obstruction
• Rapid setup, ready to use in minutes with no complex alignment procedures
• Full-surface data capture, providing complete 3D geometry for analysis, reverse engineering and simulation
• Flexible part positioning, allowing the scanner and component to be moved during scanning without losing accuracy
• Material versatility, capturing shiny, reflective and dark surfaces with minimal preparation
• Seamless integration with the Supravision file format and Unison’s Opt2Sim software means scanned data can flow directly into bending and simulation workflows, enabling immediate program adjustments and reducing the risk of scrap or rework. 

By introducing the HandySCAN Silver Elite into its service offering, Unison can deliver customers a faster, more adaptable and more accurate inspection process that complements and enhances the company’s tube bending solutions.

The results 

Early customer feedback is extremely positive. Operators have reported how quick and easy the system is to use, with minimal training required. The ability to remove measurement tasks from the inspection department and carry them out directly in production is already showing signs of improved throughput and reduced downtime. 

As the roll-out continues, Unison anticipates further improvements in productivity, quality assurance and production efficiency.

The final outcome 

By integrating Creaform’s HandySCAN Silver Elite scanning technology with its own simulation tools, Unison has created a streamlined measurement and validation solution that meets the needs of modern tube-bending customers. The system delivers speed, affordability and ease of use without compromising on accuracy, helping customers eliminate production bottlenecks and adapt quickly to new part requirements. 

The ability to scan tubes and assemblies of any size, directly in place, while capturing full detail and integrating seamlessly with bending workflows, has given Unison’s customers a new level of flexibility and efficiency. Whether for rapid end point to end point checks, detailed flange measurements or capturing complex assemblies, the Silver Elite enables accurate, repeatable results anywhere they’re needed. 

The collaborative approach between Unison, MSL and Creaform ensures customers gain more than just cutting-edge hardware; they benefit from a complete, value-added inspection and measurement solution designed specifically to support and enhance the tube bending process. 

Says Alan Pickering, Joint Managing Director at Unison Ltd: “The HandySCAN Silver Elite has already shown us that complex tube measurement doesn’t need to be complicated. The ease of use and seamless connection to our own platforms make it an ideal addition to our customer offering.”