Tube Bending

[MikeG.]

I wonder if anyone knows anyone who knows anything about tube bending?

I need some thin-walled inch diameter aluminium tubing bending to radii of max 100mm, so need to find someone with access to the specialist hydraulic bending equipment and the requisite knowledge.

This isn't a job for plumber's pipe benders, before anyone suggests it.

Thanks

Mike

 

[jpt]

A friend had a similar problem and he found a local company who made custom exhaust pipes and they did it for him at a minimal charge.

might be worth looking into.

john

 

[Jenx]

Hiya Mike,
Thats my kind of field :wink:

What's you're tube OD ? - ( i note you have 1" mentioned, is that the nominal bore or the OD ? ... knowing the wall thickness will help too, if you've got it. )

I'm guessing you say not a standard plumbers type bender, in an effort to avoid the usual deformation caused by the wheel and guides, and to maintain uniformity of the OD ?

Is your tubing seamed or seamless ?

How much of it have you got to do? is it a single piece or have you multiple pieces to do ?

Depending on the scope of what you need quantity-wise etc, might be able to point you in a suitable direction.




Alun.

 

[MikeG.]

Jenx,

the outside diameter isn't critical (around 25mm), and the wall thickness is 1.5mm because the welders say that is the thinnest they are comfortable with.

I have 6 frames to do, (2 no. of 3 frame-types), biggest about 1350x600 from memory, and a total of 20 bends. The complication is that two of the bends are compound.......ie, not just in one plane.

There is, of course, a drawing available.

Any help much appreciated!!

Mike

 

[Jenx]

Leave it with me for the afternoon, Mike .. I'll have a hunt through some old paperwork etc...
I've got some contacts that have done this type of thing before for me, but my memory isn't quite what it was :wink: ... but I have it written down somewhere.
Admittedly, it was for low-ish pressure fluid conveyance, but that doesn't matter too much, principals are the same.

Aluminium Welders eh ? :wink: -- its not just any old gash-tacker than can weld Ally... I can lead-burn really well, which is similar, but not so hot on the aluminium :wink: ...

Leave it with me, I'll have a hunt and come back to you :lol:

 

[MikeG.]

Many thanks Jenx....much appreciated!

Mike

 

[Digit]

I wonder if anyone knows anyone who knows anything about tube bending?

Daft question Mike, if you wanted info on knitting fog I reckon someone on this forum would have the answer.
They're amazing!

Roy.

 

[MikeG.]

Very true Roy! It shows what a universal hobby woodworking is.

Mike

 

[Jenx]

Mike ...

Speak to : JDR Products Ltd.
They are in Redditch in Worcestershire, tel 01527 595765
& ask to speak to David Wharrad.

He's there today, and then away till tues next week.

Told him your sizes and roughly where your're trying to get to ...
Apparently " No problem" !


The other one I had note of was
Kewtube Ltd, they're at Perivale, Greenford in Middlesex..
I have a number 020 8991 0062..
but unfortunately no contact name in there, sorry .
They do fabrication of Aly tube etc.. so would be a viable alternative.


Hopefully that will help..
in the event you draw a blank, let me know..
I'll have other contacts somewhere buried in the mound of old diaries and files, if I dig deep enough !

HTH, cheers Boss. :wink:


Alun

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks Jenx........

I've already had a quote from Kewtube, who aren't really geared up for prototypes, but I'll contact JDR shortly.

Thanks again!!

Mike

 

[Jenx]

No Worries Mike....

as I say, if you draw a blank, My Pals right up at the Muir of Ord on the Black Isle have done just about everything 'engineeringly possible' with tubes of every conceivable material under the sun, and will be able to give me ( to give to you ) further pointers, for sure, if needed.


:lol:

 

[MikeG.]

Jenx,

David Wharrad also won't do prototypes, I'm afraid.

Mike

 

[Digit]

Locally Mike we had a small company that manufactured handle bars and exhausts for custom bikes, gone to that highway in the sky now unfortunately but a similar company might be worth a try.

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

Bug*er ! Ok, back to drawing board for an hour or two ... I will find some more options in the 'archives' etc ..
May take me 'overnight' to come up with that, but will have a go at it.

The answer will 'be' somewhere ... just a matter of finding it ! :wink:
Leave it with me some more.. we'll come up with something !

8)

 

[MikeG.]

Ok........ Cheers Alun

 

[Ironballs]

Have you looked into custom motorbike frame builders? Many double up as small engineering works and do a lot of tube bending

 

[MikeG.]

No, I hadn't thought of that. I'll have a look around........

Thanks!

 

[Jenx]

On the 'custom motorbike' front ... company called

ZORSTEC would be worth a shot ... details : 01274 587004 | mob: 07870 406482
( they do 'custom' exhausts .. best in the business in the UK they are, too.

I'm just about to do a bit more on this now Mike ...
Got a phonecall to make regarding it, so will update again just shortly.

Zorstec definately worth a try though.. definately 8)



EDIT : Just made the 'call' .. the fella I need is tied up till 4.30, but I'll get hold of him then. .. bear with me.. we'll get there ! :wink:

 

[Jenx]

Hi Again, Mike ....

Spoken at length with my contact up North ...
He advises that Aluminium bending is a fair bit different from steel, copper etc, in as much as because of the metallurgy of the material, it tends to need the entire cross-section to be supported inside and out, as opposed to the more typical way we understand the use of formers & dollies etc.

He suggests talking to the one of the premier metals bending companies, who are based in Wishaw - Barnshaws.

http://www.barnshaws.com/ ( their website , with a contact details on etc. )

(EDIT - Been looking in more detail at Barnshaws Website .. they're also in the midlands and M'cr ... so nearer 'home' than I first thought ! ..
definately the 'first port of call' ! )
I appreciate that they are a bit 'away' from you geographically, but perhaps the logistics wouldn't be particularly prohibitive ?
If it is .. a phonecall to them may well shed some light on other similar operations nearer to 'home'.

beyond that, and if it needs to be more 'local' .. he said similar to what has been mentioned already ... specialist racing cycle frame-builders or the like.

Another suggestion I thought to make ...
Some of the specialist machine bending equipment manufacturer's may well be able to suggest firms where their machinery has been sold into, and that would have the capability to bend the ally , as required ...
You could try :

TT UK Ltd
10 Windsor Road
UK-Bedford MK 42 9SU
Phone: +44 1234.342.566
Fax: +44 1234.352.184
Mail: [email protected]
Home: www.tt-uk.com


or perhaps the most likely ( this is the one I couldn't remember the other day, and should have.. because I bought a Baileigh Machine a few years ago ! ) ....

Baileigh Industrial Ltd
Manufacturers of Metalworking Machinery ( including Rotary Draw Pipe & Tube bending machines )
and they are at : --
Aldermans Green Industrial Estate in Coventry.
See here ---> http://www.bifabuk.co.uk/benders/rotary ... rs-150.php

(Where Aluminuim tubing is actually referenced on the page)


Hopefully this information will help you overcome the problem ....
Give me a shout if we need to revisit this after these options...
Hopefully one or other of these will lead you to the solution.

HTH

Alun 8)

 

[MikeG.]

Magic, Alun.........I'll have a try of those people on Tuesday.

Thanks for taking the trouble.........much appreciated!!!

Cheers

Mike