Tube Benders and Its Types

Tube Benders And Its Types

Tube bending is any metal forming process used to permanently form pipes or tubing. Tube bending may be form-bound or use freeform-bending procedures, and it may use heat supported or cold forming procedures.

Form bound bending procedures like press bending or rotary draw bending are used to form the workpiece into the shape of a die. Straight tube stock can be formed using a bending machine to create a variety of single or multiple bends and to shape the piece into the desired form. These processes can be used to form complex shapes out of different types of ductile metal tubing. Freeform-bending processes, like three-roll-push bending, shape the workpiece kinematically, thus the bending contour is not dependent on the tool geometry.

Types

• Press bending

The first press bending process is used on cold pipes and tubing. In this process, a die in the shape of the bend is pressed against the pipe forcing the pipe to fit the shape of the bend. Because the pipe is not supported internally there is some deformation of the shape of the pipe giving an ovular cross-section. This process is used where a consistent cross-section of the pipe is not required.

• Rotary draw benders

Rotary draw benders are the most popular machines for use in bending tubes, pipes, and solids for applications like handrails, frames, motor vehicle roll cages, handles, lines, and much more. Rotary draw benders create aesthetically pleasing bends when the right tooling is matched to the application.

• Mandrel benders

Mandrel benders (MB) are machines designed to bend tubes to a tight radius with little to no change in the shape of the tube. Typically a mandrel bender is needed when bending thin wall tubing to a radius much tighter than the material can bend without collapsing or distorting.

• Heat-induction

An induction coil is placed around a small section of the pipe at the bend point. It is then heated to between 800 and 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. While the pipe is hot, pressure is placed on the pipe to bend it. The pipe is then quenched with either air or water spray. Heat-Induction bending is used on large pipes such as freeway signs, power plants, and petroleum pipelines.

• Roll benders

During the roll bending process the pipe, extrusion, or solid is passed through a series of roller that applies pressure to the pipe gradually changing the bend radius in the pipe. The pyramid-style roll benders have one moving roll, usually the top roll. Double pinch type roll benders have two adjustable rolls, usually the bottom rolls, and a fixed top roll. This method of bending causes very little deformation in the cross-section of the pipe. This process is suited to producing coils of the pipe as well as long gentle bends like those used in truss systems.

• Hot-slab forming

In the sand packing process, the pipe is filled with fine sand and the ends are capped. The pipe is then heated in a furnace to 1600 °F or higher. The pipe is then placed on a slab with pins set in it. The pipe is then bent around the pins using a winch, crane, or some other mechanical force. The sand in the pipe minimizes distortion in the pipe cross-section.

• Bending springs

These are strong but flexible springs inserted into a pipe to support the pipe walls during manual bending. They have diameters only slightly less than the internal diameter of the pipe to be bent. They are only suitable for bending 15  mm and 22  mm soft copper pipe.

To know more about Press Brakes Read on 7 Factors To Know When Buying A Press Brake

Conclusion

It is clear that Tube benders are very useful to the business and Hytek Marketing provides the best quality tube benders for business purposes.