Bending of pipes
The technology of bending pipes from different materials assumes two ways of accomplishing this task:
- hot bending of pipes;
- cold deformation.
From the school course of physics, everyone knows that a heated product takes a bent shape better than a cold one. Therefore in this way it is possible to bend pipes from any material.
The second method is "cold", it is used for plastic materials such as copper and its alloys. We will deal with each method separately.
Process of cold bending of pipes
Bending pipes without heating the product can be done manually or with the help of mechanical devices.
With manual deformation, two versions are possible:
- pipe deformation in supports;
- winding on the template.
When bending pipes on supports, the following operations are performed:
- clamp the product in two supports, so that the deformation site is located between them;
- after we strike with a hammer or sledgehammer through a soft gasket to give the pipe the necessary shape.
This method can be used for bending stainless pipes, but this method is not desirable, and is applicable if there is no piping at hand, since the bent portion does not always turn out to be even and neat.
By the method of winding pipes on the template, bending of copper, polypropylene and steel products can be made. The process is carried out as follows:
- for the beginning, the pipe is filled with sand, salt or frozen water so that the profile of the bent pipe does not change;
- , the product is then wound onto a template or caliber, clamping the ends of the pipe in the device.
This method consumes a sufficiently long piece of pipe, since it is necessary to use a large lever for bending.
The bending of large diameter pipes or of a durable material( for example stainless steel) is easiest by mechanical means on stationary machines.
Mechanical bending of pipes
There are only two methods of mechanical deformation of pipes:
- The first is the pipe break-in;
- The second is the hydraulic break-in.
Hand and electric machines are used.
When performing the deformation by running-in, the pipe is installed in the machine and a deforming roller is fed to the bending portion. With the help of an electric motor or a manual handle begin to rotate the drum and press the shaft to the pipe. The greater the force with which the deformer is pressed, the greater the bending radius. With this method, copper, polypropylene and stainless pipes of small diameter can be bent, but quite qualitatively and quickly. And in order to bend large-diameter pipes, press or hydro-deformation is used.
With this method, the product is bent under the pressure of a liquid( water or oil) in a special caliber or pattern. In addition, hydraulic deformation allows not only to bend pipes, but also to change their diameter.
Process of hot bending of pipes
By hot deformation method, steel pipes of any rigidity can be bent. There are also two options for this process: manual and mechanical bending.
Manual hot deformation is performed as well as cold, just before work starts, the bending area is heated with a torch or blowtorch. The same happens with a mechanical change in the profile - before feeding to the machine or press the pipes are heated.
