If you’ve encountered a need for tube bending in your business, you may have been confused. However, tube bending is simply a catchall phrase for any pipes, tubes, or other equipment that needs to be formed or shaped. Plumbing, automotive, electrical, aerospace, and other construction or manufacturing applications are all common places where tube bending machinery is used.
Materials used in tube bending vary depending on their purpose. However, all tubes that need forming or bending can be created on tube bending machinery. From plastic to steel and titanium, tube bending machines can work with any sort of material that requires forming.
The types of tube bending machines used can vary depending on the necessary process needed to create the tube. Some machines will require a specific pipe temperature in order to operate, so many tubes will be heated first, sometimes to hundreds or even thousands of degree Fahrenheit. Because tube angles have to be exact in order for the device they are a component of to function, the tube bending calculations must be 100% correct.
The tube bending process begins by using dies in the machinery to clamp the pipe and then form it into a particular shape. A mandrel, or steel rod, is inserted into the tube to prevent it from collapsing or breaking. Tube bending machinery can be operated in a variety of ways: much of it requires human control; however, CNC tube bending machines can store settings in order to complete larger jobs again and again. CNC, or computer numerical control, machinery is used to bend tubes at very specific angles, and they can eliminate human error from the manufacturing process. Also, some tube bending machinery is hydraulic or pneumatic powered in addition to electrical powered equipment.
Does your company need a tube bending machine? If so, be sure to find a tube bending company that specializes in manufacturing this equipment. Have other questions? Leave a comment below.