A fitness machine might look simple from the outside—steel frame, seat, handles, weight stack. But what goes into building a gym machine that lasts for years, endures thousands of reps, and protects its users from injury? It turns out, quite a lot.
Recently, Into Wellness opened its factory doors to IFBB Pro Sunit Jadhav for a behind-the-scenes tour of their state-of-the-art facility in Chakan, Pune. What we saw wasn’t just a manufacturing setup. It was a masterclass in how precision, process, and philosophy can come together to build something world-class—right here in India. This facility manufactures equipment in technical collaboration with Realleader USA, a premium international brand recognized globally for innovation in fitness.
Where It All Begins: Raw Materials & Cutting
The process starts with material selection. Into Wellness sources ERW (Electric Resistance Welded) tubes from trusted suppliers in South Korea, Taiwan, and India. These tubes arrive coated with Hot Rolled Pickled & Oiled (HRPO) finish to prevent corrosion and improve dimensional accuracy. Every batch is tested—not just for dimensions, but for tensile strength and chemical composition, including the exact percentages of elements like carbon, manganese, sulfur, and phosphorus.
If a batch doesn’t meet the standard, it doesn’t move forward.
For the flat structural components, the team uses IS 2062 Grade B plates, selected for their high strength and 0.22% carbon content—important details that ensure both durability and precision when it comes to forming.
Once approved, the raw material moves to a Swiss-designed laser cutting machine. It’s fast, clean, and deadly accurate—with precision down to 20 microns. The laser uses liquid oxygen and runs on fully automated programs that ensure consistent biomechanics across every single unit.
Bending, Forming & Machining: Getting the Angles Right
Once cut, those tubes and plates move to CNC bending machines. These machines don’t just bend metal—they follow exact biomechanical curves that allow users to train safely. A wrong bend angle can mean poor form or even injury, so accuracy here isn’t optional—it’s critical.
The CNC machines are powered by German tech—Bosch hydraulics and Siemens PLC controllers—ensuring no wrinkles or flat spots in the bend. In the machining area, operators monitor quality through Statistical Process Control (SPC)—a method used in top-tier industries to keep fit, angle, and finish in check.
Welding: Strength Meets Finish
Bending alone isn’t enough. It’s in the welding section that raw metal begins to take the shape of a real machine.
At first, it’s tack welded to hold everything in place. Then each unit goes through a CTQ (Critical to Quality) inspection. These aren’t casual checks—each dimension, weld point, and alignment is reviewed against predefined standards.
The welding process uses Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) with argon gas. This method not only ensures strong joints but also leaves a clean, smooth finish—important when your product is going into high-end commercial gyms.
Machines like the leg press, which are designed to handle up to 800 kg of load, undergo multiple reassembly cycles to test for alignment and structure before moving to surface treatment.
Testing Before Finish: Why It Matters
Before anything gets coated, the machines are fully assembled for dry run testing. This includes:
- Verifying critical biomechanics
- Checking component interaction
- Confirming that moving parts align and operate smoothly
Take the leg press again—just one machine contains over 250 components. Every single one has to be aligned to deliver consistent performance.
Surface Prep & Powder Coating: Built to Last
Now comes one of the most visually striking stages—shot blasting and powder coating.
Shot blasting involves firing tiny steel particles at high velocity (about 110 m/s) to remove surface rust and prepare the metal for coating. It’s essential for proper adhesion. The coating process that follows is no less advanced.
Into Wellness operates a 450-meter-long conveyorized powder coating plant. That’s not a typo—450 meters. Machines pass through three layers of powder application: one base and two top coats, using pure polyester powder imported from Norway.
The result? Equipment that resists chipping, scratching, and fading, even after years of use.
And because gyms often care about branding, users can select from over 200 custom color combinations—for frames, arms, and even stitching.
Upholstery: Comfort Meets Customization
Once coated, the equipment is fitted with high-resilience rebounded foam and double-stitched rexine seats. Durability matters, but so does comfort—especially for commercial setups where hundreds of users train each day.
Each order is customizable—upholstery colors, stitch patterns, embroidery, and more. It’s one of those small touches that help gym owners differentiate their brand.
Final Assembly & Quality Check: Every Detail Counts
In the last assembly zone, everything comes together. Weight stacks are loaded, safety pins and selector rods are added, seats are fixed, and fine adjustments are made.
A detailed Pre-Dispatch Inspection (PDI) checklist ensures that:
- Nothing is missing
- Every bolt is tightened
- Movements are fluid
- Cosmetic finish is perfect
Machines don’t leave unless they pass this step.
R&D, Process Philosophy & Global Reach
What really elevates Into Wellness isn’t just hardware—it’s thinking.
The company works in technical collaboration with Realleader USA, drawing on 30+ years of design insight to produce machines that meet international expectations. Every design goes through a lens of:
- Reliability
- Compactness
- Aesthetics
- Ergonomics
- Safety
And because everything is built in-house, the company practices 5M1E thinking—Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement, Environment. This systematic approach ensures that every link in the chain is accounted for.
With Realleader USA’s engineering philosophy as a foundation, Into Wellness is building equipment that not only meets global expectations—but exceeds them.
Sustainability & Smart Packaging
Into Wellness also makes its own boxes—because even packaging matters. Domestic shipments use 12mm ply; export cartons are fumigated as per global standards.
Meanwhile, their eco-conscious practices include:
- A 100 KW solar plant connected to the grid
- Rainwater harvesting that saves over 2 million liters annually
- Use of piped natural gas for coating and heating processes
It’s manufacturing that respects its surroundings.
People First. Always.
And finally—what perhaps stood out the most on the factory floor—was the company’s people philosophy.
Everyone from machine operators to welders work in safety-first environments, equipped with PPE, fire protection systems, and well-laid SOPs. But beyond compliance, there’s genuine respect.
The sentiment repeated across the factory tour was simple:
“We build people first, then machines.”
Final Thought
Touring the Into Wellness facility doesn’t feel like watching machines get built. It feels like watching a system come alive—each piece part of a larger story, a larger purpose.
They’re not just building equipment. They’re building confidence in India’s manufacturing capability—powered by process, precision, and their deep partnership with Realleader USA, a global leader now proudly Made in India.
