Premium tooling is required for a pipe bending machine to work remarkably. It also allows you to complete any pipe bending operation with high precision. That’s why it is quite important to learn about the different types and components of tooling used in a pipe bending machine.
The most important pipe bending tooling includes bend die, clamp die, pressure die, mandrel, and wiper die. All of these dies perform their unique functions.
What To Consider While Selecting Pipe Bending Tools?
The selection of tools or dies completely depends upon the nature of your bending business and the pipes you intend to bend using the machine.
Here are some factors to consider before selecting bending tools for your pipe bending machine.
- Material Life Span
The first attribute to think of before making a selection is the material used for the manufacturing of tools or dies. Tools made from cheap material can break easily and also can’t avoid bending damages i.e. wrinkles and collapse.
High-end materials can be a little pricy but are worth your investment. Such tools are long-lasting and can offer quality bends.
- Compatibility
You should also check the compatibility of various dies with your pipe bending machines and preferred methods. It can be a little difficult, so you can also acquire expert assistance or consult the manufacturer to determine the compatibility of the tool.
- Accuracy
It is best to select bending tools and dies with high precision and accuracy. High-end tools are incredibly precise and can create smooth bends for each operation.
Lubrication on a Bending Operation
A certain amount of friction is created between the tube and the tooling in bending operation. The bent tube has different uses, thus the requirements on the section quality are completely distinctive. During the production process, the cross-section distortion and the wall thinning should satisfy their requirements, improving the surface quality and decreasing the abrasion of dies as much as possible.
Decreasing the amount of friction produced between the mandrel, wiper and the tube can enhance the end quality. Increasing the friction between pressure die, bend die, and tube can help enhance the bending quality.
In these friction types the effects on pipe section distortion caused from the mandrel, wiper, pressure die to the bending die is quite significant, while the effect on wall-thinning is significant from the mandrel, pressure die, wiper to bending die.
In actual production, we generally brush the mandrel and wiper die with drawing oil. The drawing oil is mostly made of high-quality mineral base oil, compounded with high-performance sulfurized lard and sulfurized fatty acid ester as the main agent. It has excellent abrasion resistance and extreme pressure, and will not cause the workpiece to pull or strain, improve the smoothness of the workpiece and effectively extend the life of the equipment.