A common bending solution, mandrel tube bending, is used in a wide range of industries for applications as diverse as automotive exhaust, exercise equipment, and aerospace. So why is mandrel bending so popular?
Advantages of Mandrel Tube Bending
Mandrel tube bending offers users a number of advantages, and most of those advantages have to do with supporting the tube or pipe during the bending process.
Mandrel pipe bending begins with the tube being pulled over a mandrel held in a fixed position. When the pipe is bent, the force acting on the mandrel tip supports the inner radius of the bend, holding it firmly into the bend die groove.
Some types of mandrel bending also make use of a wiper die. A wiper die is necessary with tight bends or thin wall tubing because bending issues become enlarged with these types of bends. With tight bends or thin wall tubing, retaining the material during compression is difficult. The pressure during this type of bend is so intense the material is squeezed back past the tangent and buckles without the aid of a wiper die.
However, any type of mandrel bending provides some of the same basic advantages. Mainly, mandrel tube bending helps prevent some of the most common bending problems and issues.
A mandrel prevents the tube from flattening and allows a bend to be made without wrinkles or kinks.
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