Bending pipe to 180 degrees

[lerk]

I am looking to bend 30mm pipe into U shapes with a radius of about 95mm. Normally get them manufactured for us on a mandrel bender but for cost reasons we would like do it our selves. We are manufacturing in the 1000s so need fairly good output.

Mandrel benders are outside my budget, apart from the tool which i would have to buy is there more to a madrel bender than a shaft that turns through 180 degrees. which i could make my self with hyraulics.

any thoughts

 

[MikeHalloran]

There's a _lot_ more to it.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Compositepro]

Bending mandrels are quite complex and therefore expensive. You may be able to get by with filling the pipe with sand and using a saddle type bender. Of course hot bending makes it easier and may be required for some alloys.

 

[plasgears]

Are you ruling out a cast 180deg bend? On modern fan engines the fuel tubes have been investment cast into complex shapes.

 

[MikeMech]

We have one of these that works quite well:

http://mittlerbros.com/proddisp.php?pn=2500

We got one free set of dies with it, but I'm not sure they still do that.

 

[StrykerTECH]

What type of roundness tolerance do you have? Can your Radius be slightly bigger? What is your wall thickness?

Depening on those answers and your flexibility, you make be able to find a work around. If you are stuck or limited in design flexibility you may have to put it on a mandrel bender.
F.Y.I. (If it was easy to make a low cost mandrel bender subsitute, everyone would do that) Chances are if you can make some slight design changes you could get it on a saddle bender.

Ryan Marks
Mechanical Engineer

http://www.stryker-tech.com/

 

[chukaroo]

Try:

http://www.bendalloy.co.uk/

Better than sand or rosin, reusable and less mess.

Melts in hot water for removal.

 

[jim07601]

An alternative option is to make the 180 degree bend with elbows.