Before going shopping for the right Baileigh industrial tube bender, see to it that you understand what bending entails. Not only will you have high odds of picking the right components and tools, but also you will know what will offer you the correct bending results. Note that every component in the bending process is unique and has a special role in the bending process. But, first things first, what does tube bending entail?
Tube bending refers to the process of reshaping a pipe or a tube. The purpose of this is to ensure the tube fits required machines in different applications, including automotive.
Tube Bending Options
There is the manual option of bending pipes. That, though, is not preferable due to the non-scaling capabilities and inconsistency in bending results. Most companies prefer bending their tubes using CNC machining due to the high speed and accuracy of results. Multiple techniques are useful in bending. But know which works best whereas employing a wrong technique might compromise your expected results. Often, that will require you to have expert knowledge of the different techniques and their applications.
The Components
The useful components in tube bending are either perishable or non-perishable. Perishable components comprise of the mandrel and the wipers. On the other hand, non-perishable elements comprise of the following:
The Dies: Pressure, Bend, and Clamp
As the name suggests, pressure dies provide the necessary pressure that is sufficient to cause a tube to bend. This die presses the tube you are bending into the bender’s bend die. Bend dies, on the other hand, are the ones responsible for coming up with the right bend radius and creating the tube. Due to the different radius needs, bend dies come in both standard and customized configurations.
Here, it is the requirements of your application that will determine the style of the die you should employ. Both flange mount and pedestal dies are useful when the height of a tube exceeds the width or when the tube is insufficient to create a post. Clamp dies provide the required grip when the bend dies are in a rotating mode against the side of the tubes.
Mandrel
During the bending process, the tube ought to remain sturdy and stable to minimize any errors. Mandrels offer the necessary support in the inner side of the tubes. Mandrels are available in different materials such as bronze, steel, chrome, or aluminum. Bronze and aluminum mandrels are useful in bending titanium, Inconel, and stainless tubes. Chrome and steel mandrels are ideal in bending bronze, copper, steel, and aluminum tubes. Standard-type pitch mandrels offer the necessary support. On the other hand, close-type pitch mandrels are for making bends with tight radii and in tubes with thin walls.
When looking for a Baileigh industrial tube bender, first understand its components and the roles that each of them plays. Also, source your bender from a reliable supplier because the quality of the bender will influence the bending results you get. More so, read the manual through before carrying out any bending task to avoid making mistakes and causing material wastage.
