Machine for bending a profile pipe: how to build a pipe bending machine with your own hands

In households, a profile pipe bending machine is not used so often as to buy expensive factory-made equipment.

When such a need arises, a simple pipe bender can be done privately, having previously decided what kind of this design is suitable for the task.

In this article, varieties of machines for bending pipes are analyzed in detail, the principles of their operation and methods of construction are described.

Types of machines for bending a profile pipe

There are many modifications of equipment for changing the configuration of profile pipes. This is due to the minimum bending radius. If this important parameter is neglected, a change in the strength characteristics of the material for the worse occurs at the bend site. You also need to know some technological subtleties. bending metal pipes and take them into account during work.

When choosing a design to take into account the material of the workpiece, diameter, wall thickness.

Classification of bending machines by drive type

Depending on the type of drive, machines designed for bending any pipes are manual, electromechanical and hydraulic.

Tame. These are extremely simple mechanisms that are available for independent manufacture even to a person who is not dedicated to the intricacies of working with metal.

A hand-made DIY machine for bending a profile pipe is an indispensable assistant in the manufacture of frames, decorative elements, self-installation of a ventilation system

Electromechanical. Such a machine has a drive in the form of an electric motor - a stepper or conventional, connected through a lower gear. The latter solution provides high-quality bending due to proper stress distribution.

The device is not easy to manufacture, it requires special knowledge and at least a little professionalism.

The electric bending machine in most cases takes the form of a 3-shaft design. The profile pipe is passed between the rollers. An element located in the center can change its coordinates vertically. When the central shaft rotates, the profiled pipe changes its geometry

Hydraulic. The drive in this model is manual. Unlike a simple manual construction, a hydraulic cylinder is included in the circuit, which significantly reduces the muscular effort applied during bending.

Rollers give the chance to bend a profile pipe in any necessary direction. The manual profilegib with hydraulics with its small weight can bend the pipe assortment up to 10 cm wide.

The hydraulic cylinder of the bending machine exerts pressure on the pipe surface by mechanical action. This makes the cylinder rod move. As a result of the arising load, the product is deformed. The pressure in the piston can increase in two ways - manually and using an electric pump

Types of benders by installation method

There is a division of profile bends and depending on the installation method. Distinguish between stationary, portable and wearable equipment. Stationary machines can take the form of a simple concrete slab with rods, or solid equipment.

Compact portable pipe benders have a support stand, but the wearable model does not have a support, it is selected every time you use the equipment.

Classification of machines by the method of bending

The design of the profile bending machine and its performance will depend on the method of bending. There are 3 main bending methods. The first is extrusion, when the geometry of the profile pipe is changed using a deforming roller that acts as a punch. The matrix in this case is absent.

To perform the operation, 2 strong supports are required from opposite sides of the bend, which also serve as the matrix. As such supports use swivel shoes or rollers.

Since the force increases gradually and constantly has a perpendicular direction with respect to the pipe, the method makes it possible to obtain a good final result. We apply the method only for work in a small volume.

The second is pressing. To obtain a bend, the principle of a bench vise is used - a pipe segment is placed between the die and the punch.

The profiles of the latter, in order to obtain high-quality bending, must exactly repeat the geometry of the part. And also in the calculation it is necessary to take into account the residual deformation of the metal. At home, this method is applicable when great accuracy is not required.

A machine for changing the shape of a profile pipe by rolling consists of three cylindrical rollers, a chain, a drive and a base. The diameter of the rollers must correspond to the parameters of the deformable profile pipe

The third - rolling - a universal method used for bending both thin-walled and thick-walled pipes. Bending is obtained by pulling the workpiece between the rollers - one rotating and two supporting.

In addition to the above, pipe bending can also be carried out by the following methods:

Regardless of the chosen design, in the independent manufacture of a machine for bending pipes, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations of specialists. When choosing material for the bed, it is necessary to proceed from the fact that the thickness of the metal should be at least 1/6 of the width of the profiled pipe.

So, if you have to bend a pipe having a cross-section with a rectangle with parameters 50 x 25 mm, then to avoid deformation of the bed during bending, you need to take a channel or corner of at least 10 mm thick. The base plate and punch with a die should be 2 times thicker.

The optimal diameter of the rollers is a minimum of triple section sizes. The shelf of the channel and angle taken for the manufacture of the frame should be 2 and 3 times the width of the pipe, respectively. If you have to work on bending profile pipes of rectangular cross section 50 x 25 mm, you need a channel 100 x 10 or a corner 150 x 10.

We make a hydraulic pipe bender

Consider a hydraulic machine tool, where bending occurs due to the center pipe being pushed through the center with a punch fixed on a rising rod. As a result of close contact of the workpiece, resting on two stationary rollers, with a movable punch, the latter takes its shape.

Such a machine is called a crossbow because of the similarity of the shape of the punch with the shape of a crossbow. Its main details are the base (1), hydraulic jack (2), punch (3) and fasteners in the form of bolts. The layout of the machine nodes is performed according to the sketch

For marking the work surface, a vertical axis is laid and at the distance indicated on the drawing from the edge and axis, the location of the lower holes is noted. Then mark the location of the upper holes, backing off the desired distance from the edge. They connect a straight line to the center of these holes and lay equal segments on it.

The axes of the intermediate holes will be at the intersection of the marks made with the inclined axis. Holes on the work surface are needed to control the bending radius of the profile workpiece. Since the working surface consists of two mirrored parts, the second is marked in the same way.

The height of the machine is determined by the parameters of the jack and the distance indicated in the drawing by the symbol "a". To bend a profile pipe with a width of 15 mm, this gap in the inoperative state of the jack should approximately equal 20 mm.

In this design, the force transmitted by the punch is concentrated in its upper part. As a result of this effect, the outer radius of the pipe undergoes tension, which can cause thinning of the wall, and in some cases, rupture. Therefore, this machine is not recommended to be used for deformation of thin-walled workpieces.

DIY pipe bender

On such equipment, the workpiece takes on a given shape by rolling. In a home workshop, it’s easier to make a 3-roller construction with a manual drive. Consider two options for such machines.

Rotary Platform Option

The principle of construction of such a machine for bending pipes with a cross-section other than round is as follows:

1. The main bed is connected through an articulation to a rotary platform, which sets the angle of bend.
2. The platform is driven by a jack resting on it by the working rod.
3. Profile broaching is carried out by rotation of the handle located on the intermediate shaft.

For the manufacture of the machine’s base and racks, a channel with a wall height of 150 to 200 mm in the amount of about 3 m is required. A steel pipe with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the bearings, which is divided into 6 short segments, is suitable as bearings for the bearings, the base of the rollers.

The turntable is not the only option for adjusting the parameters of the bending of the profile pipe, this can be done using extreme rollers. For this, holes are made in the base plates and the channel so that the elements are movable.You can lift the extreme platform with any jack found on the farm

From the channel, the base and two platforms are made. Having departed from one side about 0.5 m, a vertical stand is welded from the same channel. To do this, two segments are paired to make the stand strong.

Strictly observing the horizontal position, they mount a stationary platform, and the rear rack is welded to it. Next, they take a section of the profile pipe and increase the limiters with a height no less than the thickness of the profile pipe, the deformation of which is supposed to be performed on the machine being manufactured.

The guide platform is connected to the main frame by means of door hinges. Bearings are mounted on the extended stops and edges of both platforms by welding and reinforce the structure with corners. The shafts are inserted into the bearings, and a handle is attached to the middle.

A jack is mounted under the edge of the guide platform and fixed to the base using a bolted connection.

Assembling a pipe bender with a rotary platform is carried out in the following sequence:

Three Roller Rolling Machine

On this machine, the pipe is laid on rollers located on the sides. The upper movable roller is lowered onto the product from above and in this way fix it. Next, rotate the handle and through the chain transmit the movement to the shafts. The pipe stretches and changes its geometry.

Gradually increasing the pressure by tightening the clamping bolt, and pulling the workpiece, they achieve bending of the pipe at the required angle.

Three roll forming machine is equipped with three rollers. By connecting an electric motor with a power of 1.5 kW to such a machine, it is possible to bend pipes with a cross section of up to 8 cm at a time

To make a machine working according to this scheme, it is necessary to prepare a shelf and shaped metal products for the frame, shafts, 4 strong springs, a chain, bearings, fasteners, and other details. To mount the bearings, 3 shafts with parameters corresponding to the sprockets and bearings are required.

Two shafts are designed for lateral placement, and the third (clamping) - for suspension on springs. These items will most likely have to be ordered in the workshop, and the rest can be done with your own hands.

The composition of the clamping shaft includes bearings, gears and rings. In the rings, thread under the clamping bolts is cut and grooves are made. In the shelves of the channel perform seats under the clamping shaft. At the final stage, the structure is assembled starting with the installation of the frame.

After, the clamping shaft on the springs attached to the shelf by means of a key connection is suspended.Support shafts are installed on the sides and a chain is pulled between them, using a magnetic corner as a holder.

On one of them, fixing the handle with a rotating tube, then they perform the installation of the jack. Attach it to the platform with bolts and welding.

When installing the suspension shaft, a certain sequence is observed: first, install it on the shelf, nuts under the springs are welded to it, the platform is turned over and connected to the springs. It should be noted that with increasing distance between the rollers, the forces exerted for bending decrease.

To assemble a rolling pipe bender, you will need:

On our site there are several more articles that describe in detail options for home-made devices for bending profile pipes, we recommend that you read:

1. How to build a pipe bender for your profile pipe yourself: an overview of the best homemade products
2. How to make a pipe bender with your own hands: examples of the best homemade products

How to bend a profile pipe in a simple way?

The most primitive device for changing the shape of a profile pipe is the use of a wooden template. It can be used in the case of bending thin-walled pipes made of steel or aluminum. To make such an impromptu machine, they take boards, fasten them together in any way and cut out the template.

It is better to make the template removable, then you can make several of them with different radii. It does not have to be made of wood, it can also be replaced with metal hooks, placing them along the drawn outline

At the point of contact with the pipe, the thickness of the template should be greater than the cross-sectional height of the profile pipe by several centimeters. The edge of the template is performed with a slope, otherwise the pipe may slip.

The design is equipped with a stop and attached to some stable base. The pipe is placed between the plane of the template and the stop and the material begins to bend, starting from the edge of the tube. If you start the bending process from the center, then the thin-walled pipe can flatten.

You can insert a metal rod into the pipe with a diameter equal to the bore of the pipe, or you can simply take a piece of pipe and put it on the workpiece’s horse. In any case, it will be more convenient.

For more details on how to bend a profile pipe without special equipment, read this stuff.

By the same principle, more powerful machines are made. In this case, the force is created using a winch, and the pipe is fixed stronger so that it does not break.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The basic rules for the manufacture of a machine for processing shaped pipes:

Pipe bending machine, close to factory design:

Of all the options for roll forming machines, the design most suitable for the purpose of its use should be selected. Sometimes the simplest mechanism is enough to provide yourself with the necessary amount of bent profile without any special financial costs.

Do you have personal experience building a pipe bending machine? Perhaps you can provide useful information on the topic of the article and post a photo of the device made? Please leave comments, share experiences, ask questions in the block below.