What are Tube Bender Dies?

tooling_dies.jpgWhen a tube is bent, you need only a few necessary pieces of tooling to ensure your tube is being bent accurately.

These pieces of tooling are all dies.

Specifically, a band, clamp, and pressure die. Understanding what these dies are and how they work is essential to accurate tube bending.

What Are Dies?

Tube bender dies are used to support and facilitate the tube bending processes inside a tube bending machine. The basic dies necessary (bend, clamp, and pressure) all fulfill different, but important roles.

The bend die is used to keep the tube from flattening. The bend dies also help to form the radius of the bend. This is the die that the tube will be bent around.

The clamp dies, much as its name suggests, and holds (or clamps) the tube into the correct position throughout the bend. This die helps to prevent distortions in the tube as it is bent around the bend die.

The pressure die adds pressure to the tube and forces it into the bend. This die is responsible for maintaining the force needed to bend the tube as it is forced around the bend die.

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There are other types of dies that are employed depending on the complexity of the bend, the type of bending machinery being used, and the thickness of the tubing.

For instance, wiper dies are often used when the inside of the tubing needs extra support. Wiper dies help to prevent wrinkles from forming on the surface of the tube during the course of bending.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about tube bender dies, the Introduction to Rotary Draw Bending Tooling is a good jumping-off point. With lots of easy-to-understand diagrams and images that are accompanied by clear information, walking readers through the basics of bending tooling, this is a great introduction to the world of bending tooling. Inside the guide, you will find:

  • Engineering Guidelines
  • Tight Radius Bending
  • Completing the Application Review
  • Special Considerations & Applications
  • Summary and Benefits

Click here or click the button at the bottom of this post to download the Introduction to Rotary Bending Tooling.

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