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Home , Mandrel, Tube bending

re you looking for the latest techniques on tube A & bending? Ask for our FREE Tube and Pipe Bending manual shown here. It answers a lot of questions about bending, with tips and techniques to make better bends and make your work easier and more productive.

You can also order our FREE Rotary Draw Bending Guide wall chart.

Manual tube bender for prototype or low production. Produces tight radius bends in thin wall tubes with minimal collapse. Look at what TFB can do for you!

Since 1965, companies from around the world have looked to TFB for bending solutions. And for very good reasons! They know that:

• TFB designs and manufactures (in-house) high-degree-of- difficulty bending tools. • TFB tooling will perform to exacting specifications. • TFB quality and expertise ensure longer tool life. • TFB can provide tooling for any brand or size of bender. • TFB can provide tooling for any size or shape (from 1/8" (3.175 mm) to 12-3/4" (323.85 mm) round, , rec- tangular, or ). • TFB promises honest delivery dates, not "wish-for" dates.

If you’re using our tooling, thanks for your trust. If not, Figure 1-1. TFB President Eric Stange inspects large rec- tangular . please don't let this become a habit.

You can rely on TFB's four decades of experience to provide you with the correct: • - close-pitch or regular • wiper dies - square-back or tips • and pressure dies - carbide sprayed or serrated • our patented Empty-Bending® tools • squaring and deburring blades - carbide or TL-17 • end- tools - standard or special • Kro-Lon®, TFB’s proprietary surface treatment

For details, look through the following pages. Then call us to discuss your next project or any bending problems you are experiencing with your present tools.

We don’t create bending problems, we solve them!

Figure 1-2. Five-piece, reverse interlocking tool set (2.00” O.D. x 0.022” wall on 2.00” C.L.R.) for aerospace tube fabrication.

1 TFB Mandrels

Tube bending has come a long way since wet-packed sand cerrobend or cable man- REGULAR (RP): Universal drels. TFB has more than four dozen chrome and Ampro mandrels ready- Flexing for standard tube & pipe to-ship, in the most common sizes from 3/8" (9.525 mm) to 3" (76.2 mm).

In addition to the basic mandrels, TFB has designed many specialty hybrid man- CLOSE PITCH (CP): drels, used for , wave guide, tube-within-a-tube, bend-on-a-bend, siz- Universal Flexing for thinwall tubes ing, bullet-nosed, expanding, plastic, sheathed, brute, and ultra-close pitch.

Ultra-Close Pitch (UCP): Mandrel Selection Universal Flexing for very thinwall tubes There are six common types of mandrels, as shown in Figure 2-1. There are many factors that influence which type to use. The most important considerations include: • “D” of Bend (center line radius/tube O.D.) (see Figure 2-2) BRUTE: Single Flexing for large diameter tubes & pipe • Wall Factor (tube O.D./wall) (see Figure 2-2) • Ovality and wall thinning requirements • Tube material • Cosmetic considerations FORMED END: For standard tube & pipe • Size and location of weld flash

TFB can provide the correct mandrels for any conceivable requirement. The chart on Page 3 shows a wide range of choices. PLUG: For heavy wall tube

Figure 2-1. Types of Mandrels We furnish the “H” style universal flexing, link mandrels. Our single-plane “Brute” mandrel has superior strength and straight ball alignment, ideal for high produc- tion or larger tubes.

Wall Factor Mandrels are available for virtually any size of tube or pipe, as well as any square,

O.D. ÷ Wall = W.F. rectangular, or extruded shape. All mandrels are available in standard pitch, close pitch, or the ultra-close pitch for extremely thin tubes.

"D" of Bend Mandrel materials are Ampco bronze or tool steel. Steel mandrels can be plated with C.L.R. = "D" of hard-chrome, Kro-Lon®, or titanium nitride. How a tube reacts to bending is shown Tubeube O.D. Bend C.L.R. in Figure 2-3.

Outer Wall Outer Wall Outer Wall Springback O.D. Thin Out Thin Out Thin Out Figure 2-2. Bending Design Factors Inner Wall Inner Wall Inner Wall Build Up Build Up Build Up

Tangent Lines Tangent Lines Tangent Lines 1 2 8 Radial Growth Outer Wall 7 3 Neutral Axis Neutral Axis Inner Wall Neutral Axis Clamp End 6 4 Clamp End Clamp End 5 Neutral Axis (Clamp End) Figure 2-3. Reaction of the tube to bending 2 Tooling Selection Guide “D” of Bend = centerline radius tube outside diameter (2.0 C.L.R. ÷ 1.0" O.D. = 2 x D)

“D” of bend 1 x D 1.50 x D 2 x D 2.50 x D 3 x D 3.5 x D Degree of bend 90° 180° 90° 180° 90° 180° 90° 180° 90° 180° 90° 180°

10 Ferrous P P P P Non-Ferrous P P P P P P * 20 Ferrous RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 P P Non-Ferrous RP-1 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-1 RP-1 P P

30 Ferrous RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-1 RP-1 P P Non-Ferrous RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-2 RP-2 RP-1 RP-1 P P

40 Ferrous RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-1 RP-1 P P Non-Ferrous CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-2 RP-2

50 Ferrous CP-4 CP-4 CP-3 CP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 RP-2 P P Non-Ferrous CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-2 RP-2 (2.0" O.D. ÷ F.) .032 = 62.5 W. 60 Ferrous CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-3 RP-1 RP-1 Non-Ferrous CP-5 CP-5 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 RP-1 RP-1

70 Ferrous CP-5 CP-6 CP-5 CP-6 CP-4 CP-5 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-4 RP-1 RP-1 Non-Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-2 RP-2

80 Ferrous CP-5 CP-5 CP-5 CP-6 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 RP-1 RP-1 Non-Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-8 UCP-6 UCP-8 UCP-5 UCP-6 CP-4 CP-5 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3

90 Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-8 UCP-5 UCP-5 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 Non-Ferrous UCP-8 UCP-10 UCP-8 UCP-10 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-4 CP-4 RP-3 RP-3 wall of tube 100 Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-8 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 CP-4 CP-4 Non-Ferrous UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-5 UCP-5 CP-5 CP-5

125 Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 UCP-5 CP-4 CP-4 Non-Ferrous UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-4 CP-4

150 Ferrous CAUTION: UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-5 CP-5 Non-Ferrous UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6

175 Ferrous BETTER CALL: UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-6 CP-6 Wall Factor =Wall tube outside diameter Non-Ferrous UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8 UCP-8

200 Ferrous TOOLS FOR BENDING, INC. UCP-6 UCP-6 CP-6 CP-6 Non-Ferrous KEY P-Plug or Empty-Bending NOTE: 1. The Empty-Bending system (without a mandrel or wiper die) RP-Regular Pitch is recommended for applications above the dotted line. CP-Close Pitch 2. A wiper die is recommended for applications below the dotted line. UCP-Ultra Close Pitch 3. “H” style, brute, chain link mandrel in regular pitch, close No. indicates suggested number of balls pitch, and ultra-close pitch. 4. All mandrels are available with lube holes and grooves and finished in chrome, Kro-Lon AMPCO bronze.

3 TFB Wiper Dies

It's not the price of the wiper die itself that makes it costly or inexpensive. It's how the wiper die performs. A precisely machined TFB wiper die, one that can be positioned quickly and is properly supported by the bend die, will produce good Figure 4-1. With moderate thumb nail pressure, the wiper’s leading edge must deflect evenly all around, bends, have a longer tool life, often 0.005” to 0.010” (0.13 mm to 0.26 mm). and will be the most cost effi- cient. Conversely, the most expensive wiper die is the one that takes longer to position, produces marginal bends, requires frequent oper- ator repairs, and has more down time than running time. And it may even cost more.

TFB wiper dies are available for round, square, and rectangular tubes and for shapes and . You can choose Figure 4-2. To prevent tube scratches and prolong tool life, the new TFB wiper die finishing process provides extraor- either Ampco bronze or steel, with dinary polished tube grooves and C.L.R. machined surface. optional Kro-Lon® sur- face.

Figure 4-3. Replaceable, round back, wiper die tips, avail- able in aluminum bronze or alloy steel. Inventoried sizes range from 1” (25.4 mm) to 3” (76.2 mm).

Figure 4-4. The ultimate wiper die, with Kro-Lon® on special steel and lube holes on both tube and C.L.R. surfaces.

Figure 4-5. Conventional, square back, wiper die and wiper die tips, with standard and offset holders to clear and reduce drop length. 4 TFB Bend Dies, Pressure Dies, and Clamp Dies

With four decades experience, TFB knows what combination of tooling is needed to exactly meet your specifications. For the proper bend die, fac- tors such as tube O.D., C.L.R., bender size, degree of bend, and clearances are carefully considered. Dies may be hardened, at 52-55 Rockwell C, with a penetration of 0.015" to 0.020". See Figure 5-1.

Three types of pressure dies are shown in Figure 5- 2. Pressure dies for benders with pressure die assist can benefit from grit blast or carbide spray tube grooves. This allows more advancing force without slippage. The length of the pressure die equals the arc length of the largest bend die, plus 2 x O.D. or the minimum length required to mount on the bender. Pressure dies with worn, slick, or oversized tube grooves prolong setup time, allow wrinkles, and cause excessive collapsed bends.

Two types of clamp dies are shown in Figure 5-2. Figure 5-1. Types of Bend Dies Clamp die length generally equals 3 x tube O.D. Without a sufficiently long, straight clamp area, special tube groove surfaces can be used, such as carbide spray, serrations, grit blast, or knurl. Less than 2 x O.D. for grip sections may require a com- pound clamp die and matching bend die clamp inserts. For multiple bend die machines, TFB can furnish stacked tooling from your bent tube print.

Figure 5-2. Pressure Dies and Clamp Dies

5 TFB Empty-Bending® (Patent No. 4765168)

GENERIC TOOL HOUSES AND After years of research, TFB developed and patented a GARAGES HAVE ATTEMPTED tube/pipe bending system that: TO FURNISH LOOK-ALIKE EMPTY-BENDING¨ TOOLS... • requires fewer tools (only bend die, pressure & WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS. clamp, see Figure 6-1) ALWAYS DEMAND THE • lowers tooling costs PATENTED EMPTY-BENDING¨ • improves production TOOLING MADE ONLY BY • produces high quality bends TOOLS FOR BENDING, INC. • has faster setup time Figure 6-2. Cross-section illustration of • needs no lubrication (or removal of lube) bent tube, showing compression of inner • less wall thinning wall and stretching of outer wall.

By eliminating the cost of a mandrel and wiper die, Empty-Bending® not only reduces initial startup costs, but also provides ongoing production savings, quicker setups, drop-on-tooling, and no internal tube scratches.

Figure 6-3. Empty- Bending® tool sets for one- piece fittings on conventional bender.

Figure 6-1. Empty-Bending® Dies

Figure 6-4. Tool set for 4.5” (114.3 mm) O.D. x 6” (152.4 mm) C.L.R. plastic-lined pipe. on left shows true radius groove tube. Gauge on right shows multiple radius tube groove.

6 1 Figure 7-1. Kro-Lon plated mandrel and wiper die. Note: when the Kro-Lon surface wears out, it can be re-surfaced.

TFB Kro-Lon® Surfacing

Kro-Lon® is TFB’s patented process for surface treat- ment of TFB bending tools that dramatically extends the tool life and prevents tube scratches. Results from test- ing and customer reports show a typical Kro-Lon man- drel, on average, will outlast a steel mandrel with hard chrome by 2:1. Kro-Lon will out produce aluminum bronze by more than 250%

The Kro-Lon process impregnates the tool with a sur- face of approximately 60% hard chrome and 40% Teflon®. First the tool is heat treated, ground, and pol- Figure 7-2. Cross-section of Kro-Lon test ished. Then controlled captivation of the , to a sample, showing micropores. thickness of 0.002", produces thousands of microscopic openings and fissures (micropores) that penetrate the entire thickness of the plat- ing. Using a capillary ther- mal-mechanical process, these micro-pores are literally packed with Teflon (10 microns or less) to achieve a clear surface of physically bonded Teflon and chrome.

Figure 7-3. Kro-Lon test sample showing Teflon impregnation throughout the sample.

7 Figure 8-1. Squaring and Deburring Blades

CB-12 1/8" Thick Carbide Squaring and Deburring Blades

TFB Squaring and Deburring Blades and End Forming Tools

You can chose from four squaring and deburring blades, to ™ TL17-2 Tri-Life™ match the materials you are processing. Our TL17-2 Tri-Life Coated Deburring Blades (see Figure 8-1) is a sub-micron carbide blade with a coating that exceeds titanium nitride by 3:1. Ideal for all ferrous and non-ferrous tubing from 1/4" (6.35 mm) to 3" (76.2 mm) O.D., it's superior surface significantly extends blade life compared to carbide and tool steel. TL17-2 blades produce the finest cuts and a high luster mirrored surface.

The TFB B-1 and B-12 blades are made from tool steel for use on , alu- minum, , and mild steel. B-1 blades are 1/16" (1.588 mm) thick. The stronger, more durable B-12 blades are 1/8" (3.175 mm) thick. Before

Our CB-1 blades are carbide steel, for use on titanium, , and other and hardened materials. These 1/16" (1.588 mm) blades will last ten times longer that tangtung.

We also have all the end forming tools you might need for flaring and beading (see Figure 8-2). These tools are custom designed After by TFB for better performance and longer life.

Flaring Dies

Deburring Head

Figure 8-2. End Forming Tools

8 1 Tools For Bending

Our Only Business Is Tooling Your Business All the players on your TFB team - engineering, estimat- ing, accounting, management personnel - are experienced tube benders. Sales staff, both in-house and in-the-field representatives, are trained to solve your bending challenges. This team's knowledge and dedicated skills ensure that we meet our goal of - Quality Bending Products Shipped On Time

All TFB tube and pipe bending tools are manufactured in-house, everything from design and to and plating. This same facility warehouses a large inventory of ready-to-ship tools, in a wide range of sizes. We even have a “drive-up window” to handle rush orders.

If you are using bending tools, you need to check out all the benefits you can receive when you work with TFB. So call us or visit our site today. Tools For Bending, Inc. 194 West Dakota Ave. Denver, CO 80223-2195 Phone: 800-873-3305 303-777-7170 Fax: 303-777-4749 www.toolsforbending.com Email: [email protected]

Form number: HT-08/02