Free tool
Machine selection checklist
Eight things to decide before you buy a duct line, a spiral tubeformer, a TDF line or a roll forming line. Write your answers in the boxes as you go. Send them to us when you are done and an engineer comes back within 12 hours with a configuration, a layout drawing and a budget.
Decide these eight things first
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Products and sizes
What you will make, and the smallest and largest size. Rectangular duct (width × height range), round spiral duct (diameter range), flanges, or a roll formed profile (send the drawing).
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Material and thickness range
Galvanized, stainless or aluminium, and the thinnest and thickest sheet you run. Maximum gauge and coil width both move the price, so give what you actually run, not the rare job.
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Daily output
m² of rectangular duct per day, or metres of spiral duct per shift, at the gauge you run most. Use the duct calculator to turn a job list into numbers.
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Floor space
Length and width of the bay, door size and crane access. Coil storage and the decoiler sit upstream of the machine and finished duct needs space downstream. Every Taokron quotation includes a layout drawing for your floor.
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Power supply
Voltage, phase and frequency at the workshop, and the supply capacity available. Standard machines ship 380 V three-phase 50 Hz; other voltages and 60 Hz are built on request.
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Operators
How many people will run the line, on how many shifts, and how experienced they are. This decides between single machines and an automatic line, and how many training days to plan for commissioning.
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Budget
A range is enough. With a budget we can configure to it instead of guessing. Machines are priced in USD, FOB; freight, duty and installation are quoted separately. See the 2026 budget ranges and lead times.
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Lead time
When the machine must be running, and work back: build time, sea freight, installation. Standard machines ship 45–75 days from deposit; auto duct lines take longer than single machines.
0 of 8 decided
By machine line
What to add for each line
The eight points apply to every machine. These are the extra questions for each line.
Auto duct line
- Output tier: SBAL-II 500–800 m²/day with 2 operators, SBAL-III 1,200–1,800 m²/day with 1–2, SBAL-V 2,000–2,500 m²/day with 1 operator.
- Seam type: Pittsburgh or snaplock.
- Flange: TDF or TDC.
- Maximum gauge and coil width you need on the line.
- Lead time 50–90 days depending on the line.
Spiral tubeformer
- Diameter range: both minimum and maximum. SBTF-1602 covers Φ80–Φ1600 mm, SBTF-2020 Φ80–Φ2500 mm.
- Strip width against thickness: on the SBTF-1602, 137 mm for 0.4–1.0 mm and 140 mm for 1.1–1.3 mm.
- Output at the gauge you run most, not the headline speed. Check it in the spiral output calculator.
- Forming heads for each diameter, including odd or inch sizes.
TDF line
- TDF or TDC flange, and which flange heights you need.
- Thickness range the flange former must take.
- Whether you also need a lockformer, duct zipper or corner machine in the same cell.
- Lead time 35–50 days for TDF flange forming machines.
Roll forming line
- The profile drawing with all dimensions. Rolls are made to your drawing.
- Material, yield strength and thickness range.
- Coil width and coil weight from your steel supplier.
- Cut length, and whether you need punching or stacking after the cut.
Keep a copy
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