Machine category 06
Duct & HVAC machines
TDF lines and duct fabrication — the equipment that decides whether an HVAC contract is profitable.
Duct is a volume business with thin margins, and almost all of the margin is in fabrication speed. A contractor buying duct from a third party is paying someone else for the step that carries the profit.
A TDF line changes that: coil in one end, flanged duct sections out the other, cut to the drawing with a joint that assembles on site without a separate flange.
What it is for
- Rectangular duct sections with integral flange
- Elbows, transitions, reducers and take-offs
- Spiral and round duct on the right configuration
- Site-ready sections cut from a drawing
- Repeat production for tower and mall contracts
How to choose
Match the line to your contract size
A line sized for tower work is idle capital on villa contracts. Tell us the monthly square metres you are actually fabricating and we size from that.
Gauge range decides which jobs you can bid
The thinnest and thickest gauge the line handles sets the specifications you are allowed to quote against. Check it against the consultant specs you normally see.
Floor space and material flow
These lines are long. Coil in, duct out, and somewhere to stack finished sections — the layout matters as much as the machine.
Insulation and sealing come next
Fabrication is one station in a sequence. Decide early whether insulation happens in your workshop or on site, because it changes what you need to handle and store.
Questions we are asked
Is a TDF line worth it for a mid-size contractor?
The honest test is how much duct you buy in a year. If you are subcontracting fabrication on most jobs, the line usually pays back on contract volume rather than on any single project.
Tell us the part you need to make
An engineer reads every request. Usually the same working day.
Related
- Sheet metal machines Bending, shearing, rolling and plasma cutting — the line that turns flat stock into a finished assembly.
- Welding & cutting MIG, TIG and plasma — the joint is where the part either holds or fails, and the machine decides which.
- Maintenance & technical support Production continuity depends on more than the machine itself. Correct installation, operator training, preventive maintenance, fault diagnosis and suitable spare-parts support all contribute to reliable operation.