How Bradbury China Delivered a Custom Metal Roof Batten Line for Monier in 28 Days—with 8 Years of Zero Downtime

In March 2018, Grace, a procurement manager at Monier China, received a difficult assignment.

Monier was launching a new design: replacing traditional wooden battens with metal ones. It was their own developed design — no existing tooling, no reference available.

Grace needed to find a factory to produce samples, test mechanical performance, and then custom-build a production line.

She reached out to several suppliers. Most turned her down.

Prototyping is not mass production. It‘s time-consuming, labor-intensive, and not guaranteed to succeed. Multiple revisions, repeated testing — low profit, high uncertainty.

Several suppliers either refused outright or quoted prices that made the project unviable.

Just as the project seemed stuck at the sampling stage, Grace found Bradbury China.(Bradbury China engineers discussing custom metal roof batten sampling solution with Monier client)

“We’ll Try Until You‘re Satisfied”

Grace sent the drawings, explaining the situation: a new design, no existing tooling, and likely multiple revisions.

Bradbury China’s engineers reviewed the drawings and replied with a response Grace later mentioned many times:

“Good design. We‘ll start with a press brake for sampling. We’ll try until you‘re satisfied.”

No complaints. No inflated quotes. Just “we’ll try.”

(Bradbury China press brake used for metal roof batten prototyping)

5 Sampling Rounds Before Final Approval

First sample — Grace tested it. Feedback: “Mechanical properties need optimization.”

Revised.

Second sample — tested again. “Bending angle needs fine-tuning.”

Revised.

Third, fourth...

Each round, Bradbury China‘s engineers studied the drawings and test data, adjusting process parameters step by step. Press brake tooling was changed repeatedly until every detail met Monier’s design requirements.

The fifth round passed.

Grace later called and said: “Several suppliers refused when they heard about multiple sampling rounds. You were the only one willing to try that many times with us.”

28 Days — Custom Line Delivered

After sampling was finalized, Monier officially commissioned Bradbury China to build a metal batten roll forming line.

Requirements were demanding:

•Material: G550 — one of the toughest materials in cold roll forming

•Key process: 180° hemming with zero cracking — extremely difficult on G550

•Additional requirement: Monier logo embossed on each batten — requiring integrated marking on the line

Bradbury China‘s engineering team completed the design, manufacturing, and commissioning in 28 days.

(Custom G550 metal roof batten roll forming production line by Bradbury China)

The line consists of five units: decoiling, leveling, roll forming, cutting, and automatic stacking. The forming section uses 22 roller stations with Siemens PLC control. Line speed reaches 15 meters per minute.

On delivery day, Grace brought Monier’s technical team for inspection. G550 material ran through the line — 180° hems were smooth, clean, with no cracks. Logos were precisely positioned and clearly visible.

Grace signed off on the spot.

(Professional packaging of high-precision metal roof battens produced by Bradbury China)

8 Years, Over 1 Million Meters, Zero Downtime

The line has been running at Bradbury China‘s profiling plant, producing metal battens for Monier.

Eight years. Over 1 million meters produced. Not a single unplanned stoppage.

Qin Yi, CEO of Monier China, commented:

“As a century-old European roofing leader, Monier partnered with Bradbury China to develop our precision roll forming line. Over eight years, it has produced more than 1 million meters — with zero failures and zero unplanned downtime. The precision fully meets our strict engineering standards. Bradbury China doesn't just supply machinery; they deliver world-class long-term engineering solutions.”

(Metal roof battens project application site)

Is your new design stuck at the “no one wants to try” stage?

If you have a new design or new material and can't find a supplier willing to prototype, feel free to reach out. We support multiple sampling rounds until your requirements are met — because that's how real engineering solutions are built.

If you are looking for a reliable roll forming machine to turn your complex profiles into reality, we are ready to help. Submit your drawings today for a 24-hour technical assessment, including feasibility, pricing, and lead time.