Are you planning to use a Ball mandrel and Wiper die to bend the pipe but do not know the process?
Here is the guide to bending tubes with ball mandrel and wiper die.
Why Use a Ball Mandrel and Wiper Die to Bend Tubing?
One of the oldest methods for bending tubing is using a ball-mandrel and Wiper die. A wiper die has a stationary wiper that wipes the ball as it rolls against it, making a near-perfect radius every time. This will ultimately help improve the bend quality of your bends.
A ball mandrel supports the tube throughout the tube bending process and is used to produce flares, tees, and reducers. The ball-end reduces friction and oxidation during bending, allowing the workpiece to be held in a tight radius while not marring the surface or allowing distortion. The result is precise bending that produces better flare control and dimensional consistency.
How to Bend Tubing with a Ball Mandrel and Wiper Die
Firstly, you must make a successful plan to bend the tube with a ball mandrel and wiper die. You need to consider the material you are going to bend. Try to source the entire material from one supplier. It will help in maintaining the consistency of the tubing dimensions and characteristics.
Start considering the machines you are going to use. The bending machine should be in the right condition and should have good quality because poor quality tooling leads to longer set-up times, more scrap, poorly bent tubes, and unacceptable bends. You need an experienced one to operate that machine.
When performing this type of bend, the piece of tooling, the Wiper Die should be accurate. The groove must be slightly larger than the O.D. of the tube ñ 10% of wall thickness as being minimum. It must be of high polish lubricated with thin oil. Too much fat or too heavy oil in this area will cause wrinkles. Wiper Dies fit to bend die groove must be 85% contact from 12:00 o’clock to 6:00 and for at least 15-20 degrees back from tangent. When the bend die does not support the Wiper Die. It will spring away from the mandrel. It can cause the tube to wrinkle.
Wrapping Up
These tools are excellent aids for bending tubing. It allows you to make consistent tapers on tubing, whether you want a tight or loose fit. The mandrels and dies will enable you to make different-sized bends and give you those custom curves that your other tools do not allow.
Delahenty Machinery is a leading manufacturer of tube bending machinery, Wiper dies, and ball mandrels. Many industries use our machines to process tubes and pipes, from ultra-pure copper and brass to hardened steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium. Contact us for more details.
Each component plays a vital role in the bending tooling successful operation. Yet there are some essential components like bend die, clamp die, pressure die, wiper dies, and mandrel.
So, before diving into each bending tooling component, let us understand what tube and pipe bending is.
What is Tube and Pipe Bending
Tube and pipe bending is a manufacturing process. In this process we use a machine for bending pipes, tubes. And try to get a perfect bending shape. It allows the production of shapes that are not achievable by other processes such as roll forming, plate rolling, press brakes, or tube cutting.
We use Tube and pipe bending processes in several applications in almost every industry, such as exhaust systems, headrests, etc.
Each component plays a vital role in perfect bending in the bending tooling process, which we will discuss later in the same article.
How Tube and Pipe get bent
Bending tubes and pipes can be a daunting process for someone unfamiliar with the equipment, techniques, and safety requirements. The process requires specialized machinery, a trained, experienced operator, plenty of time, and attention to detail.
Either manually or with automated machines you can finish Tube and pipe bending process. It depends upon the type of manufacturing product. Tube bending machines are best suited for short-radius turns, while more sophisticated pipe benders make longer radius bends. With tube bender you can make fittings such as tees and crosses, but you’ll need a pipe bender for elbows and other complicated shapes.
Calculations often determine the success or failure of any bending tooling, which needs to be done before the tooling is set. Some of these calculations decide things like the ideal bend radius and others whether or not your specific equipment can even complete the bend.
Moreover, the material you are using must not be bent cold in the bending tooling process. Cold bend dies only work for materials like iron and aluminum. If your material exceeds a hardness of 101 BHN, it cannot be produced with a cold die on a press brake. The more complex your material is, the more likely you will need an induction heater to heat the bar to make a bend.
Perishable and Non-Perishable Components Of Bending Tooling sets
Tube bending components consist of both perishable and non-perishable components. Perishable components will eventually have to replace, and non-perishable components are those you won’t have to replace.
The two big pieces of perishable tooling are the wipers and the mandrel (Shank, body, nose, and ball mandrels all included). The non-perishable components include:
It is a quick, cheap and easy way to produce extreme bends in thin-walled, low conductivity metals. From the reverse side of the bend die, a blank is pushed through a groove. And then the metal’s composition is rolled into a thin sheet over the die surface and compressed. The blank is then made through the die with enough pressure to bend it and finally falls off upon reaching the exit hole of the die.
Clamp Dies
It is one of the most common hydraulic tools. There are various types and sizes of clamp dies available.
In CNC machines it is the common tool. A clamp die can create pressure and hold stationary any part that goes through the machine when machining it.
Ratcheting dies, snap-action dies, and clamping dies are synonyms of clamp die. The clamp die is essential in your bending tool kit, no matter what name it goes by. A clamp die can clamp together two die flanges to accommodate various sheet metal thicknesses without you having to resize the dies for each new material thickness.
Pressure Dies
We use pressure dies in high volume, tight tolerances, or highly high output production applications. Only High-pressure machines can create these dies. They only work if they are at the correct pressure level. Otherwise, they could cause damage to the products.
There are many pressure dies in bending tooling, each designed for a particular application or material type. Pressure dies are usually the last step in this process after a forming operation. And finally it imparts the final bend profile on the formed metal blank or part.
Wiper Die
Wiper dies are bending die inserts and mainly use for bending and forming operations. These dies most commonly used in standard shapes and sizes, and made from high-quality tool steel. While their usage can vary within the industry, their function is consistent — to remove the smaller amount of material found on the top side of a sheet. Because wiper dies to remove only the excess sheeting that presents an issue during bending, they act as a sacrificial die and will wear out quickly.
Mandrels
The mandrels in bending tooling allow a continuous bend of the pipe or tube to any desired radius. A hydraulic system operates it. In this process, you put a stack of mandrels inside the machine. Mandrel rotation arrangement work with the stack of mandrels according to the diameter and length of the products.
Final Note
This is certainly not a comprehensive guide to bending tooling, but it should help you determine if it’s the right option for your business. And as mentioned above, there are many more considerations than what we discussed here. Whether you end up opting for these tools or going with a different approach, keep in mind that the best decision is often the one that suits your specific business needs and budget.
Delahenty Machinery
At Delahenty Machinery, we make the highest quality bending tooling. Our bending tooling creates a better product faster, lowering your manufacturing costs without sacrificing quality. We’ve made it easy to find what you’re looking for with a simple call or click with a wide range of products and an exclusive package design philosophy. Contact us for more details.
Mandrel pipe bender is a standard bending solution currently used by many manufacturing industries. From diverse applications to automotive exhaust, exercise equipment, and aerospace, mandrel bending is a one-stop solution for almost all bending journeys.
Types of Mandrel Pipe Benders
Plug Mandrel Pipe Benders – Plug mandrel prevents the pipe from flattening, wrinkles or kinks in the process of bending. It is easy to maintain and cost-savvy also.
Form Mandrel -When more support is needed, we opt for a Form mandrel. It helps the pipe to get a proper and perfect curve.
Ball Mandrel – It is used to support the pipe beyond the tangent. Ball mandrel helps in the critical and precise bending process.
Sand Mandrel – We use this mandrel to prevent the pipe from collapsing and retain the pipe’s contrariety during bending. In this, we stuff pipe from both ends and apply heat to make it pliable.
How Mandrel Pipe Bender works
A mandrel pipe bender is the same as a regular tube bender. We place the mandrel in a pipe or tube at the point of the bend. We have some different types of mandrels, but we use a straight rod that contains many flexible balls most of the time.
Before bending the pipe, our selected mandrel needs to match the pipe’s diameter. And it should be up to 1.5 times the diameter of the pipe. Then Use a soft mandrel if you are bending hard tubing and a hard mandrel if you are bending soft tubing.
It is how the process begins. Once the mandrel is placed inside the pipe, we push the pipe against the former diet with pressure, and the wiper dies to get the required angle.
The whole purpose of using a mandrel pipe or tube bender is to keep away wrinkling concerns in bending. With more pressure on the pipe, you can almost eliminate the risk of wrinkling in pipe or tube bending
However, if you still face the same problem, you need to take these steps into cogitation.
Check the mandrel insertion rate
The amount of lubrication you use
Check the condition of the wiper die
Or maybe, Wrong mandrel for the type of pipe metal
These points will be a problem solver for your bending the pipe. Moreover, you should know that Mandrel pipe benders cannot help with the rebounding process like other pipe benders.
Benefits of using Mandrel pipe or tube bender
Mandrel pipe bending offers several advantages. Out of them, one of the best advantages is it supports pipe or tube during their bending approach. Mandrel pipe bending helps in averting the most common problems and issues related to pipe or tube bending.
It is a specific type of pipe bending machine that maintains the pipe bending diameter. Primarily, we use mandrel pipe benders to prevent it from flattening and other general bending problems, such as wrinkles, buckling and kinks. This machinery gives support to the pipe and grips it energetically in the groove of the bend die.
Get Robust Mandrel Pipe Benders at Delahenty Machinery
We are at Delahenty Machinery, established in Melbourne. We specialize in tube manipulation and cutting machinery for various industries, including defence, shipbuilding, furniture, caravan, construction, playground, automotive, HVAC, truck, tram and bus.
Not Art and Science serve alone; Patience must in work be shown.
Well said. As an Australian machinery manufacturing owner, the first thing that comes into my mind after reading this is the Pipe Bending process. In my experience, bending pipes and tubes contain both science and arts. And with a bit of patience, you can get good quality results.
At the start, we went through a lot of trial and error, but ultimately, we succeeded. And it was necessary also because now my team and I know the preeminent things you should keep in your mind before the pipe bending process.
I am mentioning some knowledgeable points that will help you and your team command pipe and tube bending skills.
Consider these essential points before bending tubes and pipes.
Choose the angle for pipe bending wisely.
Generally, when you bend a tube or pipe to a certain degree, it will try to come back to its original shape and will get success with 3 to 4 degrees. Let’s say if you bend a pipe at 60 degrees, it will rebound a few degrees less than 60 degrees in some time. So, to get a perfect bend of 60 degrees, bend the pipe at 63 degrees. In this way, you will get a robust and elite desired angle of 60 degrees.
Use mandrel to avert flat toned bend.
Do you know about Flat toned Bend? A Flat toned bend contains a thinner tube wall, and the radius of the curve becomes tighter. The reason behind this bend is the outside wall of the pipe which is not thick enough to support itself in the bending process and ends up with collapses.
Ball and Plug mandrel can help you with a flat toned bend. You can put this inside the pipe and allow the tube during the bending process. Simple plug mandrels or segmented ball type mandrels can be used.
Use wiper dies to avert buckling and wrinkling.
Generally, as a manufacturer, we all face thin walls and minor bend radii issues while bending pipes and tubes. I have a solution for this problem. Try wiper die to prevent buckling and wrinkling in turning. You just need to place the wiper die in the back of the bend die using its tip at the tangent point. When the wiper dies encountering the friction force during the bending process, it gets operationally compatible with tubing material. This is how the use of wiper die material can lead to pleasing after unnumbered bending cycles.
Apply sufficient clamping pressure
Immense pressure in the pipe bending process plays an important role. Specifically, the tube can slip in the clamp die in an old set of tools if you put little pressure. As a result, you can get unpleasant deformations like kinks and wrinkles inside of the bend and will get a useless workpiece. Therefore, it is essential to put much pressure on pipe bending tools to prevent wrinkles.
Delahenty Machinery: Bend your tubes and pipes with our best tools
We understand the need for robust and seamless machinery. That is why we offer you.
Solid Wiper Dies
Tip Style Wiper Dies
Mandrel Links and Balls
MACKMA and YLM pipe bending machines
Check our website and contact us for more details.
Buying a tube bending machine was an arduous task for a manufacturing industry owner earlier. Nowadays, you can quickly get these bending equipment at various designs and prices. But because of ignorance to cost saving for other unidentified reasons, entrepreneurs generally make the wrong decision while buying tube bending machines.
Ideally, if you are an entrepreneur, you should know that the right tube bending machines are essential for good quality bends. A small mistake may lead to lousy quality bends, which endanger the application that uses them. And most importantly, these mistakes can end up in a bad reputation for your company. Here we introduce you to some other common mistakes that you should avoid while using a tube bending machine.
Four things to keep in mind before buying Tube Bending Machine
A powerful bending machine is a priority.
Monetary investment is one of the essential considerations when buying a tube bending machine. Yet, it would help if you focused more on the quality and seamlessness of machinery than the price you need to pay. Specifications of the tube, Precision required, Rigidity or softness of tubes and Usage interval of the machine are essential things you should care about more than the cost of machinery.
Check machinery features
There are so many machines available of various brands. But they may have different features. Here you need to understand their characteristics and seamlessness before selecting tube bending machinery. Firstly, analyze multiple risks and challenges you can face while using these machineries. Then it would be best if you opted for it.
Use a bending machine till suggested capacity.
There are so many grades of steel that have different tolerance capacities. So, It is advised not to use the tube bending machine to its maximum. Otherwise, It can lend you with so many problems with machinery. Delahanty machinery advises you to buy a tube bending machine that offers 10 to 20 per cent leeway.
Choose machinery as per bending.
You can get manual pipe bending machines at affordable prices. But if you are buying it to save money, then it will bring bad results. You need to check the bending volume and then decide whether you should take manual tube bending machines or automatic tube bending machines.
YLM All electric L&R smart turn tube bender CNC20MS-RLP-AE-7A
Buy robust tube bending machines on Delahanty Machinery
It has been more than 55 years since Delahanty Machinery is offering good quality tube bending machines. You can buy any tube bender machine at affordable prices, from full-electric tube benders to semi-auto tube benders. Contact us for more details.
Tube bending machine helps you in bending tubes permanently. It is one of the fabrication methods to bend pipes. After bending a tube, you can use this in many instruments like trombones, railings, stairs, handles, furniture frames, automotive parts, air conditioning equipment, etc.
The start of a bending operation is permanently fixed at two points, and then a rotating die, roller, or press enforces the bend. The outcome of tube bending is dependent upon many factors like tubing material, tooling, lubrication, the amount of pressure applied, and the bending geometry.
How it works
To control mechanical parts and hydraulic systems, a tube bending machine works with a computer. A tube bending machine can assist you with constant bending and precise dimensions. Indeed, it eliminates confusion surrounding bending techniques.
Five main elements play a vital role in clean and precise bending
A bend die is a round part that controls the radius of the bend.
Clamp die helps the bend diet in gripping the tube.
The wiper die prevents wrinkles on the inside of the bend.
Interlock mandrel works with wiper die to avert wrinkles on the inside of the bend.
The pressure die applies the appropriate pressure needed to the tube to bend it correctly.
To get the perfect bend, all these parts work together with the computer’s specs.
Types of Tube Bending Machine
There can be two types of tube bending techniques, form-bound and free form bending. Form-bound bending is dependent on the geometry of the die, like press bending and rotary draw bending. And Freeform bending is contingent on the movement of the tube through the tooling like roll bending.
Cold tube bending and Hot tube bending are the main tube bending techniques. Here are the standard cold tube bending techniques:
Press Bending
How Press Bending works
It is the oldest industrial tube bending technique.
In this procedure, the tube is fixed at two points.
After that, the bend die is forced against the tube to match the shape of the bend.
The external dimensions of the cylindrical ram give the attribute of the bend to be imported to the tube.
Pros of Press Bending
Press bending is a quick bending method.
It does not need lubrication and cleaning.
Cons of Press Bending
With the use of press bending, it is hard to make a minor degree of bend.
It is prone to confrontation in the internal and external curvatures.
You will face difficulty in controlling this method
It often builds an oval cross-section. But it depends upon the tube‘s wall thickness.
When a consistent cross-section is not required, you can use this method for tube bending.
Rotary Draw Bending
How Rotary Draw Bending works
Firstly, the bend die decides the radius of the bend. By rotating its outline, it imparts the bend to the tube.
Clamp die grips the tube from the outside diameter and clamps it to the bend die.
The wiper die helps to prevent wrinkles of the radius from inside.
A pressure diet provides an appropriate amount of force to bend the tube and maintains constant pressure at tangency.
Mandrel helps in tube bending to prevent collapse, wrinkle and ovalisation.
Pros of Rotary Draw Bending
Create exact bends, constant diameter with minimal ovalisation
Best for cross-sectional shapes like square, oval etc.
Cons of Rotary Draw Bending
This method is only for tube bending. That is why less flexible
It needs tooling for each different tube.
You can use this method in pipe fittings, instrument tubing, handrails, automotive and aerospace parts.
Compression Bending
How Compression Bending works
Firstly, a pressure bar pressed a tube against the fixed form block.
Now, the wipe show is pressed and drawn against the radius of the block.
At the end, it gives an oval cross-section in the bent area.
Pros of Compression Bending
It is more cost-savvy than rotary draw bending. Because it has a simple set-up.
This process is perfect for circular hollow sections.
Cons of Compression Bending
You can not use a mandrel to support the inner diameter.
You can not use this process in bending tubes to a small CLR.
This method is mainly used in bending symmetrical workpieces and electrical conduits for structural application.
Roll Bending
How Roll Bending Works
It contains two stationary rotating rollers and a moving roller.
The static rollers rotate in the counter direction of the moving roller.
The bend radius is gradually formed as the tube moves back and forth on the rotating rollers.
Pros of Roll Bending
You can use this machinery in creating bends with large CLR.
It can integrate secondary operations like punching and notching in-line.
Roll bending can form complicated shapes.
Cons of Roll Bending
It does not fit well to small quantity production runs.
With this method, you can work on structural applications, powder transfer systems, and much more.
Benefits of Tube Bending Machine
Tube bending machines can help you with perfect tube bending in so many ways. It is a fully automated machinery that requires less human effort. When it comes to bending the tube perfectly, it is more precise and reliable. Every time whenever it needs, it is capable of enlisting the proper tooling techniques. At affordable prices, it can benefit your manufacturing business in an exemplary manner.
Delahenty Machinery- Robust Machinery Solution
Delahenty Machinery has been serving powerful machinery in the manufacturing industry in Australia since 1964. We specialise in tube manipulation and cutting machinery for a wide range of sectors, including defence, shipbuilding, furniture, caravan, construction, playground, automotive, HVAC, truck, tram and bus.
Select your machinery and contact us for more details.
