When forming a specific section to a radius you may not have previously formed to, aluminium extrusion profile bending experts usually use four factors to forecast the successful outcome of a bend.
- Cross sectional geometry / rend radii
- Historic data
- Material certificate analysis
- End use of the product / tolerances
This relates to most sections that are formed by a variety of methods, aluminium extrusion profile bending and induction pipe bending are both similar in this respect for analysis.
R & D, the additional factor
Another important factor is the machine and tooling setup. This factor becomes clear when forming at the limit and separates experienced bending companies, who continually invest in R&D, from the rest.
Normally, our induction benders form to a 2D standard (centreline radius = 2 × diameter). For HSS or square hollow sections, we usually recommend 2.5D, depending on the thickness.
Recently, we advised a customer on the bendability of a 10” x 10” HSS section. We predicted that 2.5D would work well. When we saw the result, it made us smile—the bend was perfect with no deformation. This clearly showed that the new tooling designed by Inductaflex improved the outcome.
The thickness reduction on the outside was less than expected and stayed well within the project’s tolerances.
Using the same method, 2D bends in large HSS sections are now possible. For example, 16” x 8” (400 x 200 mm) sections can be formed to a 32” centreline radius (600 mm inside radius).
When comparing similar bends on the market, Inductaflex customers clearly have a significant quality advantage in SHS, HSS, and square tube bending.
