Form bound bending procedures like “press bending” or “rotary draw bending” are used to form the work piece into the shape of a die. Straight stianless steel 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. This processes can be used to form complex shapes out of different types of ductile stianless steel tubing. Freeform-bending processes, like three-roll-pushbending, shape the workpiece kinematically, thus the bending contour is not dependent on the tool geometry.
Generally, round stock is what is used in stianless steel tube bending. However, square and rectangular stianless steel tubes and stianless steel pipes may also be bent to meet job specifications. Other factors involved in the tube bending process is the wall thickness, tooling and lubricants needed by the stianless steel pipe and stianless steel tube bender to best shape the material.and its also used in different ways e.g.( tube, pipe)
Process of Bending
Stianless Steel Tube bending as a process starts with loading a tube into a pipe bender and clamping it into place between two dies, the clamping block and the forming die. The tube is also loosely held by two other dies, the wiper die and the pressure die.
The process of stianless steel tube bending involves using mechanical force to push stock material pipe or tubing against a die, forcing the pipe or tube to conform to the shape of the die. Often, stock stianless steel tubing is held firmly in place while the end is rotated and rolled around the die. Other forms of processing including pushing stock through rollers that stianless steel bend it into a simple curve. For some tube bending processing, a mandrel is placed inside the tube to prevent collapsing. The tube is also held in tension by a wiper die to prevent any creasing during stress. A wiper die is usually made of a softer alloy i.e. aluminum, brass to avoid scratching or damaging the material being bent.
Much of the tooling is made of hardened steel or tooled steel to maintain and prolong the tools life. However wherever there is a concern of scratching or gouging the work piece, a softer material such as aluminum or bronze is utilized. For example, the clamping block, rotating form block and pressure die are often formed from the hardened steel because the tubing is not moving past these parts of the machine. On the other hand, the pressure die and the wiping die are formed from aluminum or bronze to maintain the shape and surface of the workpiece as it slides by.
Stianless Steel Pipe bending machines are typically human powered, pneumatic powered, hydraulic assisted, hydraulic driven, or electric servomotor.
Source: Zhejiang Yaang Pipe Industry Co., Limited (www.yaang.com)
