Of course, metal pipes of small diameter can also be bent with an ordinary vice. However, what to do with rolled metal having a sufficiently large diameter? For such purposes, specialists use machines with which you can quickly bend such products without any deformation or damage. And they are called simply - pipe benders.
It is with the help of such machines that sheet metal and pipe rolling are flexible. By the way, this device works taking into account the specific thickness and ductility of the steel from which the part is made, as well as with the determination of the radius of curvature. How is metal bending and what kind of tools are involved in it?
Varieties of methods for bending sheet steel
This process can be carried out either manually or automatically - using special technical equipment. Do-it-yourself metal bending is a complex and time-consuming process that takes a lot of time and effort. Such processing of steel consists in the use of a hammer and pliers. Of course, with such tools it is impossible to bend the metal at a specific angle, while maintaining all the proportions and configurations of the part. However, for products of small size and diameter, this is enough. Thin metal is bent using a special mallet.
Industrial fixtures for bending metal
As for professional equipment, the following devices for bending metal products should be noted here:
- Roller machines.
- Press brakes.
- Rollers for bending.
The latter, in turn, are subdivided into several types and can be both manual and hydraulic. Recently, more modern devices have been used in industry - with an electric drive. Rollers are used to give the sheet a cylindrical shape. Often, using this equipment, chimneys and pipes, as well as other volumetric parts, are processed.
Using a press brake , bending of sheet metal occurs. Here it is necessary to note the fact that with the development of technology, modern machines are able to produce complex parts with several bending lines at once in one working cycle. In this case, the change of important parts of the apparatus (bending elements) occurs very quickly, which allows you to reconfigure the press to another product in the shortest possible time.
Application
Who needs metal bending? The procedure for bending steel products is often used in small industries, as well as in the home and household. In the latter case, such machines are used for bending profiles of different sizes, prefabricated partitions, channels, corners, hull products, gutters, slopes, steel frames and many other metal products.
In addition, various presses and machines are used for the manufacture of sewer and water pipes. Recently, their configuration has become so complex that the use of special equipment is simply indispensable.
It should be noted that machines for bending metal are also intended for processing copper and aluminum products. Still this equipment can bend the material having a paint and varnish and zinc coating. And thanks to the advent of mobile machines, work on processing sheet products can be carried out directly on the ground, and this is a significant saving in time and money that would have to be spent on transporting devices.
DIY metal bending
In the household, there are several types of pipe processing with your own hands:
1. “Bracket” - when the product resembles the letter “P”.
2. "Kalach" - the pipe bends in a semicircle.
3. “Compensator” - used to avoid obstacles.
4. “Duck” - a bend according to the type of the English letter “N” (most often used in plumbing).
For pipe processing with your own hands, a plate with holes is most often used, in which pins are pre-installed (stops for parts). However, this method is not highly effective, and therefore is suitable only for products having a diameter of 1-1.5 centimeters. Thicker pipes are cold worked with a stationary mandrel.
Bending of duralumin, brass and copper products, unlike ordinary sheet metal, has some features. Prior to processing, these products are usually annealed at a temperature of 350 to 700 degrees Celsius (depending on the specific material) with cooling in air. In this case, the pipe is filled with special molten rosin or paraffin, after which the product is allowed to cool. After the bending procedure, the aggregate is caught, since heating the middle of the part can cause it to rupture.
So, we found out how metal bending occurs and what machines are used for this.