FOCUS ON BENDING
FUTURE-PROOFING PRODUCTION
L-R: Jason Austin, CEO and co-founder of Unifabs, and Steve Williams, Managing Director, Salvagnini UK.
Smart bending systems have significantly boosted productivity and flexibility for UK subcontractor, Unifabs Ltd, enabling it to process higher volumes, handle greater product variety and meet tighter lead times.
“ Two Salvagnini P2 panel benders; one bold strategy. Unifabs has shifted the conversation from capacity problems to new capabilities for sheet metal subcontract manufacturing.”
Founded in 2007, Unifabs Ltd held a clear ambition: to go beyond basic subcontracting and become a strategic manufacturing partner. In just over a decade, the company has undergone a remarkable transformation— growing from a small metalworking shop into a highly structured operation in Nuneaton, with 160 employees working across two shifts and an annual turnover exceeding £ 16 million. This growth has been driven by a steady expansion of capabilities, a strong commitment to vertical integration and, crucially, the strategic adoption of automation across the business from product design and engineering to laser cutting; CNC punching; bending; welding; powder coating; assembly and logistics.
While the foundations of this evolution were laid early on, a decisive turning point came in the past five years with a focused investment Bending sheet metal in the P2.
76 | ismr. net | ISMR September 2025