A tube bender, sometimes also known as a pipe bender, is a piece of equipment used for fabrication purposes. As the name implies, they are used to bend tubes without flattening them.
Despite sounding so simple in application, there is a wide variety of tube benders available at piling pipe suppliers.
To choose the right kind of bender, one should have a clear understanding of the application. Analyze the building requirements before you decide which tube bender your project requires.
Types of Benders Available at Piling Pipe Suppliers
Tube benders can be categorized into four different types based on their mechanism and operations.
Open Rotary Draw Benders
Open rotary draw benders bend the tube by drawing it in a curvature. This type of bender is perfect for metal pipes and tubes. It is used to bend tubes of specific radii.
Roll Benders
Roll benders are structured in pyramid-like shapes. It consists of three rollers arranged in a triangle. These rollers function by applying pressure onto the tubes and bending them to a certain diameter.
Mandrel Benders
Mandrel benders include steel balls in their machinery. The steel balls are passed through the pipe, and the curvature radius ends up bending the pipe. Mandrel benders are used for large-scale productions.
Ram-Style Benders
These benders have a die that is used to push through the tube with a ram. The force exerted via the ram shape bends the tube to the desired radius. The force here is usually of the manual, pneumatic or hydraulic variety.
Factors to Be Considered When Choosing a Bender
The type of metalwork used in a project plays a substantial role in deciding the quality of the finished product. Choosing the right equipment can make or break a project. Let’s take a deeper look at the factors one should consider when getting a good tube bender.
Operation Speed
For high-speed operations, one will need to opt for electric or pneumatic benders. Manual ones won’t be nearly enough.
Size of Production
The mandrel or CNC benders are undoubtedly the best options for heavy-duty production work.
Monetary Impact
If you are looking to invest in a piece that is going to outlast the years, give you optimal performance, and is of unparalleled quality, bet your money on electric or CNC benders. If you only need a temporary bender and are not willing to spend as much money, a manual bender might be what you are looking for.
Machine Compatibility
Also consider the compatibility of the bender with the pipe’s thickness, diameter, and material.
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