Methods of Tube Bending

Ram Style Tube Bending

Ram style bending is arguably the easiest and cheapest method of bending pipe and tube.

The pipe or tube is restrained at both ends the ram exerts pressure on the central axis and bends the pipe or tube to the required angle.

Ram bending does have dome drawbacks though, as t the bent pipe or tube is likely to deform on both the inside and outside curvature. The pipe or tube will then have an avular cross section, depending on the wall thickness of the material. Ram Bending is most often used for bending electrical conduit and similar light gauge product.

Mandrel Style Tube Bending

Mandrel bending of pipe and tube is used where the bent pipe and tube need to retain thei circular cross sections after bending. Other styles of bending can resuld in deformation or flattening of the pipe or tube.

When Mandrel Bending, the pipe and tube is supported internally with a flexible mandrel support that bends with the pipe or tube, and ensures that the pipe retains its shape. The pipe or tube is drawn through a counter bending die onto fixed radius former die, which ensures the the pipe or tube is properly bent without any damage.

Mandrel bending of pipe and tube is most often the method of choice for the manufacture of exhaust pipes, turbocharger exhaust and intake tubing, dairy tubing and process tubing, and just about any steel or aluminium tubing where absolutely no deformation of the pipe is required.

Ring Roll Style Bending

Ring roll Bending is primarily used for bending pipes and tubes which have a large circumfrence. Pipe and tube ring roll benders generally have 3 rolls on separate shafts that roll the pipe while the top roller exerts downward pressure on the top roll to bend the pipe to the required angle. Ring Roll Pipe and Tube benders are available in 2 or 3 driven roll machines, and can use either manual or hydraulic settings for the rolls. Roll tube benders are usually used for awnings,frames for barbecues, outdoor furniture, and a round tubes with a large radius.


Rotary Draw Bending

Rotary draw bending is the most commonly used style of bender for bending pipe and tube where maintaining a smooth bend and constant diameter is required.

The pipe or tube is drawn through stationary counter- bending die onto fixed radius former die. This method of bending pipe and tube is used mainly in the production of handrails, car chassis, Drag car chassis, Roll cages, and Trailer frames

Pipe and Tubing Bending

Using pipe or tube bending machines, a steel plug is inserted into the pipe or tube, while a rotating steel die forms the pipe to the radius of the die. The steel plug, (which is known as a mandrel), supports the pipe internally to stop the pipe cross section pinching during pipe bending. A pipe bending clamp attatches the pipe to the die. The pipe or tube bender then turns the die to the desired bend angle as a sliding pressure die forces the pipe to bend to the die radius. After the bend is complete, the mandrel is removed from the pipe, the clamp is released, then the newly bent pipe or tube can be taken from the pipe bender. With proper equipment, this pipe bending process is capable of producing, tight-radius bends for a wide range of applications, such as go-kart roll bars, football goalposts, and outdoor furniture.

Square Tubing Bender

There are many typs of square tubing that certain projects require to be bent. Often square tubing or steel pipe tubing is used for things like roll bars for a go-cart, a frame for an outdoor table or a support on a trailer. If can be difficult to bend quare tubing without the proper square tubing bender however, as the tubing can deform or pinch during bending. Knowing how to properly bend square tubing will prevent you from destroying the tubing, and will avoid the trouble caused when the squre tubing gets a kink during bending.

Always make sure that the square tubing bender that you use is the correct tubing bender for the size and type of square tubing that you use.

Versatile Tubing Benders

There are many types of tubing benders that can be used on different radius pipes and tubing. Even square metal piping can be bent using the correct tubing bender, and if the bending is conducted by a professional, most tubes and pipes are able to be bent into virtually any shape and angle required. Square tubes, angles, flat bars, aluminum extrusions for windows, doors, storefronts, the possibilities are endless if you use the propper tubing bender on the correct tubing. Using incorrect equipment will not only result in a deformed bend, but may also cause the tubing or pip to colapse in upon itself. Therefore, always use the right tubing bender.

Press Tubing Benders

One of the most well known bending processes used on cold pipes and tubing is Press tube bending. In this process a die is pressed against the pipe, bending the pipe or tubing to fit the shape of the bender. When using a press bender, the pipe is not supported internally, which may cause some minor deformation in the shape of the pipe or tubing, giving an cross section the shape of an oval. This process is used where a consistent cross section of the pipe is not neccessary. Although a Press Bender die can produce various shapes, it only works for one size tube and radius.

Hydraulic Tubing Bender

A Hydraulic Tubing Bender is a piece of manufacturing precision machinery which aids metalworkers and fabricators in the bending of steel or alloy pipe and tubing. The difference between a Hydraulic Tubing Bender and a regular Tubing bender is of course the hydraulics instead of the tubing bender being human powered or pneumatic powered. The process of Hydraulic tube bending involves using mechanical force to push stock material pipe or tubing against a preset die, forcing the pipe or tubing to bend to the to the shape required.

Roll Bender

During the roll bending process the pipe, extrusion, or solid metal is passed through a series of rollers (typically no more than three). These rollers exert pressure on the pipes and thereby change the bend radius in the pipe. There are also pyramid style roll benders which utilize only a single moving roll, usually the top roll. There is another type of roll bender which is known as a Double Pinch type roll bender, which has two adjustable rolls, (usually the bottom two rolls), and a static top roll. This method of bending causes virtually no imperfections in the cross section of the pipe. The process of Roll Bending is usually suited to producing coils of pipe as well as long bends, most often used in truss systems.

Mandrel Tubing Bender

The machines known as Mandrel benders (MB for short) are used to bend tubing or piping to a tight radius with minimal deformation in the shape of the tube. A Mandrel Bender is usually required in situations where bending thin walled tubing to a radius much tighter than the material can bend without becomming deformed. The word "mandrel" refers to the part of the tooling set up which is inserted into the tube and remains inside the tube or pipe during the entirety of the bending process. The mandrel aids in supporting the shape of the tube wall when bending. The most common used for a mandrel bender is when bending tubing used for automotive or motorcycle exhaust pipes.

Pipe and Tubing Bender

Pipe and Tubing Bender

A pipe and tubing bender is a machine which bends tube, pipe and even metal. tubing benders are ordinarily either human powered, pneumatic powered, hydraulic assisted, hydraulic motor driven, or electric servo motor. During the processess of bending the pipe or tubing, the pipe or tube may be supported internally or externally to preserve the cross section of the pipe. This may be done with a Spring Bender. In situations when there is flexibility in the shape of the pipe, the tubing will not usually require support, however there may be some structural imperfection in the cross section of the pipe or tubing.

Much of the tooling that is used for pipe and tube bending is made of hardened steel or tooled steel to maintain the tools life. If there is a concern of scratching or gouging the work piece, a softer material such as aluminum or bronze is most often used instead. The clamping block, rotating form block and pressure die are often formed from the hardened steel because the tubing or piping is not moving past these pieces of the apparatus. The pressure die and the wiping die however, are usually formed from either aluminum or bronze to ensure the shape and surface of the tubing is protected.

Bending Springs

Bending Springs

When bending tubing, sometimes Bending Springs are required. Bending Springs are strong springs which can be inserted into a pipe or section of tubing to support the walls of that pipe or tubing during the tube bending process. Theese bending springs are designed with diameters marginally narrower than the internal diameter of the pipe or section of tubing that is to be bent. Bending Springs are only used for bending pipes or tubes 15-and-22 mm (0.6-and-0.9 in) of soft copper, which is most often found in hosehold plumbing.

Method Of spring Bending:

When bendign a section of pipe or tubing, the spring is inserted into the pipe until its center is where bend is to be made. A section of wire can be tied to the end of the spring to allow it to be romoved after bending is complete. The pipe is ordinarily held against the knee, and the ends of the pipe are pulled up to make the bend. To allow the spring to be retrieved after the pipe is bent, it is often best to bend the pipe slightly more than required, and then release the pressure marginally. Spring Benders are less cumbersome than rotary benders, but are not suitable for bending short lengths of piping where it may be challenging to obtain the leverage that is needed on the pipe or tubing ends.

Tubing Bender

A "Tubing Bender" is a mechanical instrument used to bend metal tubing or plastic tubing. No real suprises there! The process of bending the tube will permanently form pipes or tubing into the shape desired, allowing the tube or pipe to go around corners, or to be used in many other ways. The original straight tube can be bent using a tubing bender to create single or multiple bends and to shape the piece of tubing into the desired form. A tubing bender can even be used to form complex shapes out of different types of metal tubing, some of which is quite intricate. Most often, round tubing stock is what is used in tube bending, however, square and rectangular tubes and pipes made of either plastic or metal be bent if the tubing bender is able to accomodate that particular shape. There are several important factors that must be considered prior to beding the tube, such as the wall size of the tube, the thickness, tooling and potentially evey lubricants needed by the pipe and tubing bender to best shape the tube.