The continuous advancement in Induction bending technology has led to major changes in the bending world. For certain situations or applications of bent and curved steel induction bending is either preferred or required compared to cold forming processes. The cold forming process can lead to wall thinning, rippling and ovality of pipes and tubes due to the pressure applied by the steel dies during the forming process. With induction bending these issues are countered due to the unique process.
The induction bending process works by placing a straight pipe or tube into the machine and allowing one end to be surround by an induction coil and one end to be clamped for pushing the material through the process. The bending process begins when the induction coil is headed up a specific temperature causing the material to become more malleable. Once the material has hit the desired temperature it is pushed slowly though the induction coil while a rotating arm forms the material to a desired radius. Once the material has passed through the coil and has been correctly bent, the material is then hardened again by a water cooling system. There can be some limitations to induction bending for minimum radial measurements, but the induction bend process is often able to achieve tighter bends where cold forming would cause undesirable deformation to the cross-section.
This process is much more time consuming than the traditional bending methods but it allows companies to expand their capabilities with minimal distortion. This is particularly important for tight radius bends on large tube and pipe. Some of the Industries that require this minimal distortion include petroleum pipelines, processing plants, oil & gas refineries, power generation and food processing.
To find out if your material needs to be formed using induction bending call a bender roller company and talk to an estimator, as they will give you the best information and price cutting solutions.
