Concavity is less of a problem with thick-walled materials. For easy bend, the greater the difference between the sides of the tube (e.g., a 16 by 4-inch section has a greater difference than a 12 by 4-inch section), the greater the deformation or concavity on the bend ID. When a rectangular tube is bent, the material often exhibits less distortion when hard bent. This tube bending procedure is very economical and faster than a mandrel bender. During this process, the pipe is slightly compressed inside to allow the material to flow. Bending rectangular or square tubes can be done with a special tool. Let us delay no further and take a look at the common applications of the benders.Īs the name suggests, the primary application of a square tube bending machine is to undertake rectangular and square tube bending. Square tube bending machines are versatile and have a number of applications. :: Read More: The Awesome CNC Tube Bending Machine If possible, the weld seam should be placed on the neutral axis of the bent section. The closer the weld seam is to the rounded corner, the greater the chance that the mandrel will not fit properly and the weld will crack. The ideal position of the welding seam is in the center of one of the four sides.
The higher the ductility and malleability of the material, the larger the radius. A thicker wall allows a smaller bend radius and greater material extensibility with less deformation. The factors include wall thickness, material, the OD (outer diameter), and the ID (inner diameter) of the material. Multiple tips can make it easier to bend square and rectangular materials and reduce the amount of distortion in the bent sections. In addition, if minimal deformation in a bent section is allowed, the operator must pay more attention to proper bending procedures. Design parameters and the required appearance of the final product often help in choosing the thickness.Īrchitecturally Exposed Section Material (AES) requires a more detailed analysis of bend radius, wall thickness, and bend method. steel pipe up to a 5 ft radius will cause greater distortion if the wall thickness is 0.188 inches than if the wall is 0.500 inches. The thicker the wall, the tighter it can be formed with minimal deformation. In some cases, workpieces with rounded corners tend to roll away from the bend radii, causing the material to twist. The corner radii determine whether the mandrel will correctly fit the inside diameter (ID) of the pipe. The tolerances and customer appearance requirements help determine the method. They all apply for round, square, and rectangular materials. The bending methods include rotary bending, induction bending, roll bending, incremental bending, and compression bending. After collecting and analyzing the information, the appropriate bending method is selected. The parameters required to produce an accurate part include the degree of bending, radius, chord, arc length, slope, and tangent length. The bending basics are the same for all materials. While the bending procedures for round, rectangular and square materials are the same, square and rectangular tubes require special consideration. The basic concepts of pipe bending are the same as those used by blacksmiths for centuries, developed long before the slide rule, calculator, or desktop computer. However, the rules are not just about modern gadgets and sophisticated mathematics. Stress and strains can be accurately predicted by mathematics. Bending dies are designed with specific curve angles and the square tube bending machines are computer-controlled. The bending process relies heavily on modern science and technology. The tube bender has more uses than the benders that use air cylinders. In this article, we will address different aspects of the square tube bending machines.Ī standard pipe bender can bend pipes with thin walls and small radii (using an air cylinder). While round tube tools are standard tools, bending square tubes requires special tools that fit the tube’s cross-section. The good news is that tube benders are easy to set up.
Square, rectangular, or round tubes can be bent. A wide range of pipes can be bent on a bender. Bending round or square tubes and pipes requires a square tube bending machine.