Tubing material information needed

[HandSPipe]

Hello everyone. Noobie here with some questions. I have purchased a Hines 300CNC mandrel bending machine. We build turbo kits for vehicles, custom exhaust systems, intake systems, and yada yada. We've in the past bought pre-bent pieces of tubing from Woolf Aircraft. We use 304 SS, 1010 Mild Steel, and 6061 Alum. I can find the 304 and 6061 locally but no one carries the 1010 mild steel. They have been trying to get me to purchase A513-T5 DOM Tubing. I am unfamiliar with this tubing. To be honest with you, I'm not a material expert in the least bit. I'm hoping some of you could point me in the right direction or give me some advice. We use 1.5" all the way up 4". I appreciate any and all info anyone could throw my way. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Harrison

 

[EdStainless]

I am not going to comment on the steel, but a couple of other things.
Make sure that your stainless is 304L. Even at moderate temperatures straight 304 will loose ductility and corrosion resistance, and customers don't like rusted stainless.
The other thing relates to bending. You will need numerous mandrel sizes as the wall thickness of the tubing can very enough to impact your bending. Also you will need to pay attention to the location of the tube seam weld when you bend, if you set up with the weld up, then all production needs to be bent with the weld up. If you don't you will have trouble holding tolerance as the parts may spring back differently.
Good luck, maybe in 20 years you will be as good as Woolf (I know them).

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube