Conex Bänninger has supported Adia Thermal with its Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) operations in a new collaboration.

Adia Thermal’s plug-and-play heat pump control system works with the radiators and pipework already in the home. There is a pre-plumbed HUB at the centre of the heating system to manage the heat pump, flow-balancing valves, sensors and room controls in one compact unit. According to a statement, the Adia Thermal HUB gives installers a clean, predictable setup, delivering smoother installations and providing a consistent performance.

Damascus Msumba, national business development manager for the OEM operation at Conex Bänninger, said: “Our OEM products are quietly powering some of the most innovative HVAC and mechanical projects across the UK and Europe. As a business, we work closely with leading heating manufacturers including Bosch and Baxi but are equally at home dealing with companies across a diverse range of industries including heating and cooling, refrigeration, and renewables.

“Our collaboration with Adia Thermal came about through meeting at InstallerSHOW 2024, where our engineers saw Adia Thermal’s prototype hub on display. Seeing the internal pipework and fittings immediately stood out to us, and we felt we had the products and expertise to support them. It was clear that Adia had a strong concept and we believed our OEM expertise could help refine the design and move it towards scalable production.

“Adia Thermal needed a solution that matched the efficiency of their product while integrating seamlessly with existing systems, and Conex Bänninger was seen as the right fit. From our first meeting, discussions quickly moved on to design. We shared detailed drawings for the hub’s hydraulic assembly and our engineers in Poland reviewed every bend, radius, and tube thickness to confirm manufacturability. Our first task was to ensure the design fell within our capabilities, and where needed, we introduced new tooling to hold and braze components accurately.

“After sample approval, production scaled quickly, with more than 300 precision-made pipe components delivered for the first 50 HUB units. Throughout the process, we maintained close technical communication, holding regular calls to refine every detail.”

Luke Hodkinson, CEO of Adia Thermal, added: “The process with Conex Bänninger was highly collaborative with their team taking the time to understand the design intent and were thoughtful about how the assembly could be manufactured. They checked details with us, raised sensible questions, and suggested improvements that made the design more practical without changing the core architecture.

“As a start-up, our natural instinct is to want everything immediately, but Conex Bänninger kept things moving in a way that felt smooth, well-structured and reassuring. The first sample components showed a high level of care in the way they were made, and the quality of those early parts gave us confidence to keep refining the assembly together.

“What started as a quick conversation at a trade show has grown into a genuinely productive working relationship. Conex Bänninger were thoughtful, responsive, and constructive throughout. Each stage involved clear communication and a willingness to iterate together, which made the entire process feel well aligned.

“The Adia HUB is now ready for market, and the quality of their work and the way they approached the collaboration played a meaningful part in helping us reach this point.”