The Pipe Bending Process
The seasoned professionals at Abter Steel set the standard for Pipe bending with the following three processes:
Rotary Draw Bending
Rotary Draw Bending is used to form single, multiple, or compound bends. This process employs a mandrel to provide internal support throughout the bend. The mandrel fits within the Pipe’s inner diameter with precise clearance. Pressure applied from within balances the outside forces, allowing for the formation of thinner-walled material. With the aid of a wiper die, this method produces a round, wrinkle-free bend while maintaining a minimum wall thickness on the back of the bend. The maximum degree of the bend is typically 180° or less with standard tooling. This technique is used in all of our bending departments, including CNC bending.
Compression Bending
Compression Bending is effective for straightening or single bend applications. In this method, the workpiece is clamped or held steady, and force is applied directly to create the bend. This results in oval cross-sections and is generally limited to thin-walled or larger bend radii. Typically, the bend is performed without internal support, which can result in crushed bends. The maximum degree of the bend is generally less than 120°, though a 180° bend may be required for Serpentine Bends. This technique is used in the Small Bending Department and the Special Projects Cell.
Roll Bending
Roll Bending is used for large radius bending. The Pipe is pushed through a set of three rollers to form a large arc. This setup is not practical for small radius bends and may require multiple passes to achieve the desired dimensional tolerance. The resulting form has an unmarked interior, as no mandrel is applied in the process. The maximum degree of the bend is 360°. This technique is used in the Small Bending Department.
Suitable Materials for Pipe Bending
Various materials respond differently to bending, even when technicians use the same equipment and methodology. Because the process stretches materials to some degree, flexible metals usually work best. Abter Steel can bend the following types of metal tubing:
- Alloy 40 (21Cr-6Ni-9Mn Stainless Steel): Ideal for pipes in energy applications due to its high-temperature tolerance.
- Aluminum: Lightweight (1/3 the weight of steel) and ideal for aerospace applications. Aluminum is a good conductor and dissipates heat well, with specific properties varying across its seven series:
- Series 1xxx: Corrosion-resistant and easy to fabricate.
- Series 2xxx: High machinability at elevated temperatures but low resistance to corrosion.
- Series 3xxx: Usually used in bending, with good corrosion resistance and machinability.
- Series 4xxx: Low melting point, primarily for welding.
- Series 5xxx: High strength, corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability.
- Series 6xxx: High strength, corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability, and able to be heat treated.
- Series 7xxx: High strength, hard to bend.
- Brass: Malleable, hard, and ideal for rolling, drawing, and bending projects.
- Copper: Easily formed, ductile, corrosion-resistant, and malleable. It’s one of the best conductors of electricity.
- Copper-Nickel: Adding nickel to copper improves strength and resistance to oxidation and corrosion. A 70/30 alloy is ideal for marine applications.
- Hastelloy: A nickel- and cobalt-based alloy, resistant to corrosion and easy to weld.
- Inconel: A superalloy designed for extreme temperatures, resistant to corrosion due to its nickel- and chromium-based composition.
- Stainless Steel: Versatile, used in interior and exterior applications, and water- and corrosion-resistant.
- Steel: Carbon steels, which are predominantly iron and carbon, vary in hardness, strength, ductility, and ease of bending based on carbon content:
- Low Carbon Steel: ≤ 0.3% carbon
- Medium Carbon Steel: 0.3 – 0.6% carbon
- High Carbon Steel: ≥ 0.6% carbon
- Titanium: High strength-to-density ratio, corrosion-resistant, and has a useful life span of 20-40 years, often used in naval and aerospace applications.
Finishing Options for Pipe Bending
After a Pipe has been shaped, the next step is to finish the ends to ensure the part fits securely into the designed system.
Abter Steel offers the following finishing services to ensure flawless integration:
- Flaring
- Flattening
- Expanding
- Swaging
- Beading
- Trimming
- Facing
- Victaulic Grooving
In the realm of construction, finding the right structural solution is crucial for ensuring the safety, strength, and efficiency of a building. One such versatile and reliable option gaining popularity in recent years is the use of pipe trusses. These trusses, constructed from interconnected pipes, offer numerous advantages in terms of strength, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. In this article, we will explore the concept of pipe trusses, their applications, and the benefits they bring to construction projects.
Advantages of Tubular Truss Steel Structure: Compared with space truss structure, pipe truss structure eliminates vertical bar and space truss bottom chord node, which can meet the requirements of various architectural forms, especially arch and arbitrary curved shape construction is more advantageous than space truss structure. Its stability is different and material consumption is saved. The steel pipe truss structure is developed on the basis of lattice structure, which has its unique superiority and practicality compared with lattice structure. The steel self-weight of the structure is more economical. Compared with traditional open section (H-steel and I-steel), the steel truss pipe truss structure section material is evenly distributed around the neutral axis, and the section has good compressive and bending bearing capacity and large stiffness at the same time. There is no node plate, the structure is simple, and the most important thing of the pipe truss structure is that it is beautiful, easy to shape and has certain decorative effect. The overall performance of the pipe truss structure is good, torsional stiffness is large, beautiful and generous, easy to make, install, flip, hoist; using cold-bent thin-walled steel pipe truss, light weight, good rigidity, save steel structure, and can fully play Read more
Roofing Systems: Pipe trusses are commonly used as roofing systems in commercial, industrial, and even residential buildings. The triangular or quadrilateral shape of the trusses provides excellent load-bearing capacity, allowing for large spans without the need for intermediate supports. This design feature creates expansive interior spaces and facilitates efficient use of the building.
Pipe trusses, also known as tubular trusses, are structural frameworks composed of interconnected pipes. These trusses form a triangular or quadrilateral shape to provide stability and distribute loads evenly, allowing for the construction of large and complex structures. The pipes used in pipe trusses are typically made of steel or aluminum due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and durability.
These Aluminum Bolt Square Truss are always used as background frame and for light lighting .Connect each truss with pin part and easy to set up .Length or thickness can be customized according to customer's requirement. Truss Material Aluminum alloy 6082-T6 Light duty truss 200*200mm 220*220mm Medium duty truss 290*290mm 300*300mm 350*350mm 400*400mm 450*450mm 400*600mm Heavy duty truss 520*760mm 600*760mm 600*1100mm Main tube thickness Ø30*2mm Ø50*3mm Ø50*4mm Vice tube thickness Ø20*2mm Ø25*2mm Ø30*2mm Brace tube thickness Ø20*2mm Ø25*2mm Ø30*2mm Truss length 0.5m / 1m / 1.5m / 2m / 3m / 4m or customized Truss type Spigot or Bolt Truss shape Ladder , Triangular, Square, Rectangle,Arc, Circle,irregular shapes Optional color Silver / Black / Blue or customized Application Booth, fashion show, catwalk, wedding, new product release, concert, ceremony, party, etc. Delivery time 5-15 days 300mm x 300mm Spigot Truss Load Table Span (M) 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M Center Point Load (KGS) 890 780 680 600 470 390 290 210 160 Deflection (MM) 5 8 13 13 16 29 45 62 88 DistributeLoad (KGS) 1630 1530 1430 1330 1230 930 730 630 530 Deflection (MM) 4 12 23 36 48 75 97 138 165 400mm Read more
Large Span Prefabricated Building Metal Frame Shed Warehouse Steel Structure ,Steel material Structural steel Q235B, Q345B, or others as buyers' requests. Purlin C or Z purlin: Size from C120~C320, Z100~Z20 Bracing X-type or other type bracing made from angle, round pipe
