Lindab Duct Machinery Alternatives — A 2026 Buyer's Comparison

First, what the Lindab machinery group actually is

Lindab AB is a listed Swedish ventilation and building-products group and Europe’s largest maker of duct itself. Its machinery division sits inside its Ventilation Systems segment and today consists of Spiro International (Bösingen, Switzerland; inventor of the Tubeformer, owned by Lindab since 1992) with its US plant Spiral-Helix (Bensenville, Illinois); Firmac (Scarborough, UK; rectangular duct lines, Nu-Loc seamer, integral-flange lines; acquired May 2023, about SEK 40 million in sales, 32 staff); and the Vicon group (Bohemia, New York, with plants in Pevely, Missouri and Meadville, Pennsylvania: coil lines, TDX flange formers, HVAC plasma tables and software under Vicon Machinery and Plasma Automation; acquired February 2024, about SEK 260 million in sales, 64 staff). Lindab said the three would have combined machinery sales of roughly SEK 600 million a year and would “become world leaders in quality machines for manufacturing of ventilation ducts”.

So “Spiro versus Firmac versus Vicon” is one vendor. Firmac’s own site says it is part of the Spiro group; Vicon’s web shop is hosted on a Spiro domain. If you want a genuine second quote, it has to come from outside the group.

Why buyers look for an alternative (none of which is a knock on Lindab)

• Premium positioning. Spiro is the benchmark spiral brand and Vicon and Firmac are premium lines in their markets. A first-line buyer, or a shop adding overflow capacity, often cannot justify benchmark pricing.
• The group is also a duct maker. Lindab sells ductwork across Europe. Some contractors prefer to buy their machinery from a company that is not also a competitor for the duct they fabricate. That is a commercial preference, not a service complaint.
• Service is organised by company, not by group. Spiro, Firmac and Vicon each publish their own support (Spiro Care contracts, Firmac care agreements, Vicon lifetime phone support), and no group-level global service statement is published. Outside Europe and North America, ask which company actually answers the phone and where the nearest forming head or roll set is stocked.
• Lead time and landed cost. Premium machines are built to order; for a buyer in Australia, the Gulf, South-East Asia or Africa, freight, duties and parts round-trips add up.
• One PLC family and one commissioning team. Three companies means three control philosophies and three commissioning teams for a shop that buys round, rectangular and plasma together.

The alternatives, by tier

The table is the short version; the notes below explain each tier.

Brand and product names are the property of their respective owners, referenced here for honest comparison only. Ownership, positioning and published ranges are as verified in September 2026 from each maker’s own publications; confirm current specifications and support with each vendor before buying.

What the group publishes, brand by brand

Spiro: Tubeformer 1602/3600 Modular (Ø80–1600 mm; galvanised 0.4–1.3 mm standard, 1.7 mm heavy-gauge build; guaranteed output of 180 ducts an hour at Ø100/0.5 mm, 53 at Ø500/0.7 and 23 at Ø1250/0.9 for 3 m ducts), Tubeformer 2020/3600H (Ø80–2500 mm, to 2.0 mm), Gorelocker and Fittingshaper fittings machines, plasma and curve cutters, stitch welders. Firmac: the Nu-Loc seamer (seam closed in under 15 seconds), ADF-M plain duct line, Multi-Duct Former (coil 1000–1500 mm with a 2000 mm option, 5,000 kg coils, galvanised 0.6–1.2 mm, duct from 150×150 to 2000×2000 mm) and the Pro-Duct CGF integral-flange lines; Firmac exports about 95 percent of output to 50-plus countries. Vicon: coil lines, TDX flange roll formers and HVAC Pro plasma tables, all US-made, with about 20 US distributors and lifetime phone support.

Two takeaways. First, Spiro’s guaranteed-output figures are the honest yardstick to demand from every spiral vendor at your diameters. Second, Firmac’s CGF flange nomenclature and Vicon’s TDX are integral-flange systems; when you compare, translate them to the SMACNA profile you actually specify (TDF T-25b or TDC T-25a), because that is what your cleats and corners must fit.

The US counterpart: Mestek Machinery

If you want a like-for-like full-range group, Mestek Machinery is Lindab’s direct counterpart: Lockformer (spiral tubeformers, TDC formers, Vulcan plasma), Iowa Precision (premium coil lines), Engel (value coil lines and roll formers) and Roto-Die (brakes), built at one site in Cedar Rapids and sold through an authorised dealer network across the United States and Canada. Trade press notes that Vicon grew precisely by competing against Mestek after the Engel and Met-Coil deals. Best for: North American shops that want dealer service nearby. Weigh: the dealer network is domestic; see our Lockformer, Iowa Precision and Engel guides for each brand.

The European independent: Tormec

Tormec builds spiral tubeformers (Tube-Former Ø80–1600 mm to 1.2 mm, die-based Tubo Nova Ø125–1400 mm), round-fittings machines, rectangular lines and cutting in Barcelona, with a Swiss office and a stated presence in 60-plus countries. Best for: European buyers who want a European-built, independent alternative to Spiro. Weigh: no published throughput and no 2020-class heavy-gauge machine; see our Tormec guide.

The value tier — and where Taokron fits

At the lowest acquisition cost, export makers sell the whole range from one catalogue. Automation depth, forming-head and roll quality, PLC family and after-sales support vary widely across the tier, so compare on written specs, an installed reference and an acceptance test rather than on price.

This is where Taokron sits, and this is our own machinery, so read it as a vendor’s case. Taokron is an Australian supplier that has built HVAC duct machinery since 1995, with 5,000+ machines in 100+ countries, ISO 9001:2015 and CE certification and catalog-accurate published specs, and, like Lindab, we cover the whole shop from one vendor. Round: SBTF-1602 (Ø80–1600 mm, galvanised 0.4–1.3 mm), SBTF-2020 (Ø80–2500 mm, to 2.0 mm), fitting shaper, elbow welder and ovalizer. Rectangular: SBAL-V (1250/1550 mm coil, 0.5–1.5 mm, 18 m/min), SBAL-III (to 2.0 mm, 8,000 kg decoiler), TDF formers and Pittsburgh formers. Cutting and joining: plasma (1550×4000 or 5000 mm table, 0.4–4 mm), fiber laser and welding. Unlike Lindab we do not sell duct, so we never compete with the contractor who buys our line. Commissioning comes from one engineering team, and we put throughput and acceptance criteria in the factory acceptance test. Best for: shops outside the Lindab and Mestek service maps, and first-line buyers anywhere, who want a full line with direct engineer support at export-tier capital cost. Weigh: we are not the benchmark brand; ask for installed references in your region and test our sample duct against yours.

Switching without stranding your ductwork

Duct made on another maker’s machines fits your existing duct because the seams and flanges are standards: the spiral lock seam and diameter series, the SMACNA Pittsburgh and snap-lock seams, the TDF (T-25b) and TDC (T-25a) flanges. Tooling, controls and software do not transfer. Before you sign:

• Round: count the forming heads you own against the diameters you sell; match strip widths (137/140 mm, 150 mm for heavy gauge); decide the cutting system; price the fittings machines as a system.
• Rectangular: match coil width and weight; specify gauge with margin; translate CGF/TDX to the SMACNA flange profile you specify so cleats and corners interchange; confirm the insulation applicator type.
• Plasma and software: confirm the nesting and CAM path (Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct, PractiCAM, Trimble FabShop, Vicon software or a plain cut list) and test a real job file on the new controller.
• Electrical and floor: voltage, phase, 50 versus 60 Hz, compressed air, cooling water for slitters, 12–15 m for a full rectangular line.
• Spares and days: stocked heads, rolls and blades with quoted delivery; commissioning and training days and an acceptance test written into the contract.
• Run the acceptance test on your own coil at your top diameters, sizes and heaviest gauge, and test-fit to duct you already have before the old machines leave.

The headline: operators cross between brands in days; the switching cost sits in tooling, the flange decision and the software path.

Get a vendor-neutral read on switching →

FAQ

Are Spiro, Firmac and Vicon the same company?

Yes. All three belong to the Lindab group: Spiro since 1992 (with Spiral-Helix as its US plant), Firmac since May 2023 and the Vicon group (Vicon Machinery, Plasma Automation and two smaller entities) since February 2024. Lindab says their combined machinery sales are about SEK 600 million a year.

Does Lindab make duct as well as duct machines?

Yes. Lindab is Europe’s largest ventilation-duct maker and its machinery division sits inside its Ventilation Systems segment. Some contractors weigh that when choosing a machinery vendor; it is a commercial preference, not a technical point.

Will duct from another maker’s machines fit duct made on Spiro, Firmac or Vicon equipment?

Yes, if seam and flange match. The spiral lock seam, Pittsburgh and snap-lock seams and the TDF and TDC flange profiles are standards. Translate Firmac’s CGF and Vicon’s TDX to the SMACNA profile you specify and confirm with a sample joint.

What is the like-for-like full-range alternative to the Lindab machinery group?

Mestek Machinery (Lockformer, Iowa Precision, Engel, Roto-Die) in North America. In Europe, Tormec covers spiral, fittings and rectangular as an independent. For a full round-and-rectangular line at export-tier capital cost with direct engineer support, Taokron is our own case, so ask us for references in your region.

Does tooling transfer between brands?

No. Forming heads, dies, roll sets, notching dies and shear blades are machine-specific, and each brand runs its own controls and CAM link. Budget full tooling and test your job files on the new controller.

Where does the real cost of switching sit?

In tooling for what you actually make, the flange system you standardise on and the software path. Operator retraining is small. Ask every vendor for guaranteed output at your sizes and gauges and write it into the acceptance test.

Machinery referenced in this guide

Taokron supplies the whole duct shop as a Lindab alternative: spiral tubeformers and round fittings, auto duct lines, TDF and Pittsburgh formers, welding and plasma, laser and folding — or browse the full machine catalog.