Components of the tube bending machine

The bending head swings clockwise from right to left, to bend the tube as it wraps round the tooling in the headstock. The head is CNC programmable so that any bend angle can be produced up to a practical maximum of 180 degrees.  

The tube feeding mechanism, which positions the tube accurately in the tooling, is behind the bending head.  This mechanism is also CNC programmable for both bend position (along the length of the tube) and the rotation of the tube.

The headstock itself can contain two different tools to enable two different bend radii to be produced within the same program.  In addition, larger radii can be obtained by progressively bending and feeding the tube through small increments.

The combination of the CNC controlled bending head, CNC feeding mechanism and multi-tooled headstock allows bending with variable radii and variable axis along the length of the tube.

CNC Programming

Complex pieces of bent tube are programmed using the integrated 3D CAD computer system.  Once the program is complete the bending process is simulated on screen.  The simulation checks whether there will be a collision between the tube and the bending machine itself.  Programs are saved for reuse in future.