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Participant

Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2

Bending Aluminium Tube

03/23/2009 2:29 AM

I would like to bend a 75mm OD, 3mm Thick Aluminium pipe as a circle (Like vehicle wheel tube) to the OD of 600mm. There should not be any deformation on the OD of 75mm. Can anyone suggest suitable method for making this

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Power-User

Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Francisco Bay area
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#1

Re: Bending of Aluminium Tube

03/23/2009 7:23 AM

Hello,

The best method would be to use a CNC Bending machine. If that is not available try a standard pipe bender. I have been somewhat successful with smaller diameters when I have used sand to fill the inside of the tube to stop the tube failing during bending. Stainless steel bends very nicely if that could be used as an alternative. Good Luck

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Anonymous Poster
#2

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 12:29 AM

no deformation is imposible.

if you allow a little variation, them there is a widelly used 3 roll bending technique.

have a nice day

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Associate

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Senior Civil Engineer - Washington DC
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#3

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 2:29 AM

Pack it full of sand first, if you can SEAL the ends before bending then remove or cut them off after fill it totally full of water, it is critical that you have no air which can compress to allow bending.

Damp sand packs well...

GO SLOW as you work it down, hurrying will be the biggest risk to tube collapse

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Anonymous Poster
#4

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 4:28 AM

To avoid distortion on OD, one requires to fill the tube with very fine sand or Woods Alloy. Woods Alloy melts at around 70 Deg C & solidifies without any shrinkage. Melt the alloy & pour into the tube. The tube can then be bent with any tube bending machine (2 or 3 roller type). After bending the tube the sand or woods alloy Has to be removed. (The tube can be placed in Boiling Water to melt & remove the woods alloy from inside.) With most tube bending machines, the ends do not get bent, so start with a longer tube than required and cut the unbent ends later.

regards,

S D Lashkari

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Participant

Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2
#8
In reply to #4

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 8:22 AM

can you provide me the spec of woods alloy

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Guru
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Location: East of Seattle, Washington state Republic of the 50 states of America
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#10
In reply to #8

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

04/05/2009 1:00 AM

Wood's Metal.

Tin 2 parts

Lead 4 parts

Bismuth 5 to 8 parts

This silvery, fine-grained alloy fuses

between 151 and 162 F

Brad

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Active Contributor

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#5

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 6:15 AM

one of the best method to bend a pipe is to take some fine white sand(sharp sand or glass sand) dry the sand and filled the whole pipe with it and then use a welder torch(that burn with Oxygen and Acceteline) to heat the pipe while the pipe under bending should be fixed on some nails welded to the table heating for proper tilting to the angle of bend required.

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Anonymous Poster
#6

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 6:29 AM

A three roll tube bending roll will perform the task but the tube OD my not be perfect, especially on the ID. There may be some wrinkling.

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Anonymous Poster
#7

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/24/2009 7:27 AM

The aluminium grade is importante. Chose a grade like 6061 t3 or lower. The time is also a factor, the 6061 t3 are more maleable in the first 72 hours, after this point is compare to a 6061t6 and is brokable.

Good luck

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Power-User

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#9

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

03/30/2009 4:41 PM

I agree with posts to use rolls. Multiple passes may reduce deformation but you will always see some deformation, even with a mandrel or shot/sand filler.

Material type, as motioned above, will help get your answer. Temper is a big issue in bending aluminum.

Not sure what your budget is but you can get it extruded at the mill into a round. $$$

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Anonymous Poster
#11
In reply to #9

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

07/19/2009 1:37 PM

If you have tube bending requirements call SF Tube. CNC tube bending operation out of Hayward CA. 510-785-9148 Rafael.

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Participant

Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2
#12

Re: Bending Aluminium Tube

11/23/2012 4:06 AM

Dear Siraj,

What do you mean by any deformation ? any Tube bending process will deform the bending area. this means you will not have the same dimension in X aixs compared to Y axis. However it depends on the CLR, Alloy also.

More over, you have to join the tube ends by welding where you will certainly find the deformation.

We also make tubualr corona rings and it is common.

If you are looking for sourcing of the tubes I can help you too -

Regards

Srinivas

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