Minimum Radius Steel Bending

Having developed a variety of steel bending processes, Chicago Metal Rolled Products has great expertise in curving structural steel, plate and sheet to tight radii without any distortion.  Such tight bending can be done with angle, bar, beam, channel, pipe, tube, tees, sheet and plate.  Multi-radius bends, helical bends, off-axis bends, compound bends and reverse curves can also be produced with minimum bending radii.

Minimum Radius Bending Images

Minimum Radius Bending Capacities

We can now produce curved steel with minimal distortion: a W6 x 12# beam hard way to a 14" inside radius; a C8 x 18.5# channel hard way to a 4'4" inside radius; a W16 x 57# beam hard way to a 12' radius; and an 8 x 8 x 1/4 tube to a 15' radius. 

With mandrel tube bending, the company can form 6" schedule 40 pipe to a 12" center line radius, a 2D bend.  With other processes, we can bend tighter. 

Our heavy plate rolls can form a 1-1/2" plate 45" long rolled to a tight 24" inside diameter. Our sheet rolls can form 18-24 gauge pipe 10' long down to 3" diameter. Our angle rolls can bend ½ x ½ x 1/8 angle leg-in angle to a 4" OD.  And we can roll all the sizes from the largest to the smallest to the tightest radii.

Because our capacities are always improving, you should call us with your most challenging requirements.

Minimum Radius Bending Value-Added Services

In addition to steel bending of very tight radii, the company can also perform ancillary operations including welding, punching, forming, beveling, drilling and grinding.

Minimum Radius Bending Applications

Examples of applications requiring a minimum bending radius include the tight 12' radius of the half ellipses that form the top of the train tube at the student center of the Illinois Institute of Technology, an example of multi-radius tight bending.  The western edge of the Chicago Bears home, Soldier Field, contains boomerang shaped beams also with very tight radii.

Mandrel tube bending of 6" pipe to a 12" center line radius is used as piping for General Electric generators and for roll-over protection on construction and agricultural equipment.

Lastly, many visitors to our display booth at various trade shows have seen our "sculpture" of curved steel sections and have marveled at the tight bending with no distortion.  When we tell them that all these bends were made cold, they are even more amazed.

Contact us for more information on minimum radius bending.