How to bend a profile pipe at home without a pipe bender. How to bend a profile pipe with your own hands. Methods Profile bend

If you are building or renovating a home, you may be faced with the need to bend various metal structures. Arranging an arch for grapes or a greenhouse cannot be done without bending a profile pipe. This is not the easiest or simplest task. After all, the pipe can not only deform, it can simply crack, and in the worst case, flattening will occur. You will either have to do some welding or just get rid of this pipe.

Technologies for bending profile pipes

There are several basic technologies for performing deformations. Let's look at each of them:

• use of profile bending machine;
• use of a pipe bender;
• use of traditional methods.

Using a spring is to some extent similar to the method with water. It is specially compressed by winding, for example, onto a metal or wooden rod, and inserted into the pipe. The thickness of the wire from which you will make the spring should be about 2-4 mm. Just keep in mind that you will have to remove it later. Take a soldering lamp and thoroughly heat the required area, then quickly begin to bend. In this case, it is advisable to use some kind of stop (template) of suitable sizes. After reaching the desired condition, the pipes wait for it to cool and, if possible, remove the wire. This way you reduce the likelihood of accompanying deformations, avoid cracks, accordions and other undesirable processes on the pipe.

For bending square pipe folk craftsmen successfully use an unusual method. The pipe is sealed at one end and filled with ordinary tap water, taken out into the cold or stuck in the freezer (if size allows). After complete hardening, the product is carefully given the desired shape. This technology is suitable for copper, brass and duralumin pipes.

And the last, environmentally friendly way to give the product the desired shape involves bending with sand and salt. As you know, they are used for deep heating for bronchitis and inflammation of the joints. These substances have the property of retaining their heat for a long time and are characterized by infrared radiation. If you took sand, then you need to prepare it well: rinse, sift, remove foreign matter. This way you will avoid incidents. The pipe is sealed on one side, you can use wooden block and filled with heated sand. You can heat it in a frying pan, with a blowtorch, or in any other way. Close the pipe on the other side and again, using a suitable template, deform the product to the desired angle. If things don’t work out, heat the pipe with sand with a lamp. The effect of this substance is similar to other fillers. This softens the pressure, and the product accepts it more softly with less loss. the required form.

As you can see, there are ways to bend profile pipe great multitude. Moreover, it is absolutely not necessary to use expensive equipment.

When conducting construction work Bent profile pipes are increasingly being used. The design and manufacturing methods of these materials give them excellent characteristics.

Therefore, many are interested in how to bend a profile pipe at home. After all, such a need arises often.

It should be noted right away that profile pipe products have a more aesthetic appearance than their round “brothers”. And bending can be done:

1. In a specialized workshop.
2. On your own, at home.

If preference is given to the second option, then you should know that for these actions you will have to have certain knowledge. Watch the video on our website and you will succeed.

Features of profile bending

The fact is that the corrugated pipe, when the configuration changes, is affected by two forces:

• compression, which exerts an effect from the inside;
• tension acting from outside.

When a corrugated pipe is bent incorrectly, it changes its shape and loses the coaxial arrangement of some sections. Also, a stretching wall may simply not withstand mechanical stress and become unusable. In addition to these problems, there may be incorrect abbreviation and the formation of folds on inner wall bent workpiece.

It often happens that it is easy to bend a pipe from a profile along a radius, but the workpiece ends up crumpled. After this, it is only suitable for scrap metal.

The combination of these factors influences unjustified increases in expenses, which a serious owner will never allow. Therefore, despite the fact that this pipe range is quite flexible, there is no need to rush to process it, and before bending a corrugated pipe along a radius at home, it is important to study the technology in detail. This will be discussed further.

Technology should not be neglected. Only for a master armed with knowledge, the question of how to bend a profile at home will not create big problems. All recommendations on how to bend profiled metal products correctly were given by professional craftsmen who have studied this problem in practice for a long time.

Influence of technical characteristics of the material on the choice of bending method

First, you need to know that the concept of “corrugated pipe” includes a range of any geometric configuration. But to make it easier to understand, it is customary to call profile assortment following form:

• square;
• rectangular;
• oval, etc.

This is due to the fact that round types are placed in pipeline structures for supplying liquid or gas, where significant pressure is provided. A profile of a different shape is found in various household structures and structures.

Square rolled metal products are distinguished by their cross-sectional index and wall dimensions. Both of these factors indicate minimum angle for bending rolled metal without it becoming unusable.

There are a lot of engineering nuances in the question of how to bend a product without a pipe bender. But you don’t need to know them all to work at home. But it is important to know the following.

1. Thin products with a cross-section of up to 20 mm without a pipe bender must be bent in an area that is 2.5 times longer than the height of the pipe itself.
2. Thick rolled metal can be bent without a pipe bender in a zone that is three times longer than the section. If this point is ignored, the metal will crack from the outside or deform from the inside.
3. Bending a profile pipe is dangerous in one respect: the occurrence of a fracture at the site of the operation, as a result of which the part is sent for final scrap or for reworking for products of a smaller size.
4. The limiting condition is the following ratio - the minimum radius should not be less than two and a half sizes along the bend cross-section. For example, for a profile with a thickness of 40 mm, the minimum internal radius will be 40 x 2.5 = 100 mm.

Before bending a steel profile pipe at home, you should remember one more rule.

After exposure, the pipe strives to return to its original shape. For this reason, if you bend it yourself, without a profile bender, then it is better to bend it a little more than is necessary according to the diagram. If you bend the workpiece a little more, then in the end the rounding will turn out as required by the diagram.

All these conventions must be taken into account before bending this or that rolled metal product, otherwise it is useless to focus on a high-quality end result.

Methods used for bending

Do-it-yourself bending of a profile pipe at home is done in the following ways:

• Bending using special technical devices. People call them pipe benders.
• Using various available means.
• Using physical force. But, this is only relevant for small diameters.

If you make a bend at home, you need to consider:

• The amount of bend.
• Manufacturing materials.
• The size of the wall thickness.
• Section.

IMPORTANT! Measures to deform profile pipe products are carried out within the permissible standards set for the cross-section and wall thickness. During operation, it is necessary to ensure that the cross section does not flatten and internal fractures do not occur.

See how to bend corrugated pipes and common mistakes, and below is a video of the process.

How to bend along a mandrel

In home workshops, rolled metal with a wall thickness of no more than 3 mm can be bent using a mandrel. The best option for solving the problem, if you need to bend a corrugated pipe by 20 with your own hands, is a profile bending machine, on the top of which there is enough space for finishing equipment. Such devices also cope excellently with products with a diameter of 40 mm.

When changing the shape of the assortment to 20 and 40 mm, the optimal space for installing the element for fixation is selected on the workbench. To make work easier, there are holes on one side of the machine that are located close to each other.

The problem of how to bend a profile pipe at home without a mandrel pipe bender is not difficult to solve. The required radius during deformation is obtained by installing a special template. Thick plywood is used to make it. But, if work on bending profile pipes needs to be done frequently, then you can make a template from metal corner.

Bending with internal countermeasures

There are many different ways, how to bend a pipe without a pipe bender along a radius at home. Here are some of them.

These methods refer to work using improvised means.

Any greenhouse, gazebo, and other home extension cannot do without the use of bent corrugated pipe. And practice shows that the question of how to bend profile pipe does not create any difficulties.

The most important thing when deforming a professional pipe without special hand tool at home - this is the safety of the pipe product itself. And home craftsmen solve the problem of how to bend a profile in the following ways:

• finishing with a grinder or welding;
• use of a spring;
• filling rolled metal with sand;
• bend with water.

Each method of how to bend a corrugated pipe yourself without a pipe bender, which can be used by a home craftsman, has its own advantages and disadvantages. You need to familiarize yourself with them in order to choose the most optimal option for your conditions.
Watch the video

Bending without a pipe bender - cutting with a grinder and welding

To bend a product with your own hands without a pipe bender, make cross cuts at the site of the intended bend. Only three sides of the pipe are sawed, and the fourth is left untouched.

To determine the number of cuts and sizes, a simple calculation should be made. Let's look at how to do this using an example. So, you need to bend a pipe 30 x 50 mm at an angle of 180 degrees (full turn) with a radius of 100 mm along a 30 mm wall.

Calculation:

1. The length of the semicircle of the outer radius is determined from the relationship:
   L = 2: 2, where – Pi = 3.14; r – outer rounding radius equal to 150 mm; L is the length of the semicircle.

1. In the same way, the length of the semicircle of the internal bend radius Lin is determined.
2. The difference between the outer and inner radii will be the required value of the total length of the slots on the inner radius.

Lout = L – Lin.

1. Having carried out the necessary calculations, we get the result of 157 mm.
2. Based on the cutting width of a grinder of 5 mm, we find that 157: 5 = 31 slots need to be made at 315 millimeters along the fold plane.

After this, the resulting part is simply bent by hand until the ends of the cutouts touch. The slots must be welded and cleaned welds Bulgarian The cracks that remain after such manipulations are welded, and the welding areas are cleaned.

IMPORTANT! If the work is not performed correctly, or the bend radius is not observed, then the bent pipe may ultimately be damaged. And it is no longer possible to fix everything. We must act slowly. This is the main rule that should not be violated.

Grinder cutting and welding is the formation of an angle through a cut in which one surface of the pipe workpiece remains untouched.

Just like on metal in this case thermal influence is carried out, it is necessary to process the bent profile at the end anti-corrosion protection.

Using a spring and a blowtorch

The second method - a spring, which makes it possible to obtain curved metal products, is also a type of method of using internal countermeasures.

This is also a common way to bend without a pipe bender. To work, a square-shaped spring is made from steel wire with a two-millimeter diameter.

It is made so that it fits into the pipe. It should pass freely, and there should be a gap of at least one millimeter. Next, the bending area is heated blowtorch. Then, using the prepared blank, the product is bent to the desired parameter.

If something doesn’t work out, the result can be corrected. But it’s better to do it all at once. With repeated processing, the metal becomes brittle.

Using sand to bend a corrugated pipe

You can deform communications at home without a pipe bender using ordinary sand poured into the workpiece.

One side of the pipe is closed with a stopper or any available item. This closed end is fixed in a vice.

The workpiece is filled with sand and heated with a blowtorch in the place where the bend is planned. Then the product is bent to the required dimensions.

After the procedure is completed, it is left to cool. This is how the material fixes the acquired dimensions.

Professional craftsmen warn that there is one important nuance: in order to bend the product with your own hands, you need to take clean and pre-calcined sand.

Wooden plugs used to seal a sand-filled pipe can be easily removed with self-tapping screws. This way you can bend the workpiece very quickly.

Exposure to water

In winter, you can bend the profile pipe yourself using the following original method.

Watch the video

The workpiece is filled with water, and the outer parts are sealed with wooden plugs. Then it is taken outside so that the filled liquid hardens.

You can bend this pipe in accordance with the template and without much physical effort. Its cross section is preserved during this procedure. After receiving desired result the plugs are removed and the liquid is poured out.

There is another simple option, but it can only be used to bend duralumin and brass assortments. Before starting work, you should prepare a template. The tube is filled with water, as in the previous case.

Watch the video

But then it moves to a place with low temperature. When the water freezes, a rounding is performed using a blank. It should be noted that this method allows you to get perfect shape roundings, and great forces In this case, bending will not be required by the hand of a master.

From the material presented, it is clear that bending a profile pipe with your own hands is not a task of great complexity. If you approach the process competently and study the materials in detail, you can save a large number of money, time and energy. Also, do not forget the safety rules.

All the methods described are very effective, but only if you follow certain rules.

Watch the video

Watch the video tutorials, drawings and photos presented on the site and you will be able to do everything correctly yourself.

Bending equipment

Skilled people, not spoiled in life by unobtrusive service, come up with ways to simplify the performance of rather complex operations, including bending profiles.

One of these devices is the simplest lever with a template,

Using such a simple device, you can quite accurately produce arched elements for a greenhouse or greenhouse, support posts gazebos and other details for dacha exterior.

Advanced site owners, showing ingenuity and resourcefulness, use scrap materials to make more complex devices, allowing you to perform work with increased accuracy. Usually these are kinematic copies of 3-roll bending devices.

Such devices use manual drives, but if we develop the design further, it may well be the starting point for the development own business.

When doing flexible profiles at home, you need to take into account a number of circumstances:

• When purchasing profiles, make sure that they are all the same size and steel grade and belong to the same delivery batch;
• when using welded profiles, orient the side with the seam towards the inner radius, otherwise it may rupture;
• When working with an angle grinder, do not forget to use protective equipment in the form of glasses or a mask;
• it should be taken into account that end sections It is not always possible to bend to the required size, therefore, when calculating the length of the workpiece, you need to take into account their length and cut off such pieces after completing the formation of the part;
• After installing the products in place, it is necessary to carry out anti-corrosion treatment of the metal and then do it regularly in the future.

Bending services

Such a service could not help but become a separate area of ​​business development, since in the industrial version it involves the use of a rather complex technological equipment.

Video - how to bend a profile pipe

Profile pipe bending services are also present on the market and involve both radius and arch bending. The separation occurs in this way because specific equipment is used for each of these operations. In the first case, it is a pipe bender, in the second, a three-roll rolling machine.

It must be admitted that the price indicators for performing such operations are very acceptable, as follows:

• the cost of one corner bend is 30 rubles;
• one linear meter arched span will also cost 30 rubles.

Compared to the cost of metal and delivery of material in the Moscow region, this is really practically nothing.

Special devices for bending

Speaking about how to bend a profile pipe at home using a pipe bender, you should carefully watch the video below.

After watching the video clip, it immediately becomes clear that the device used to bend pipe products with a round cross-section is not suitable in this situation.

If you bend a pipe using rollers and shoes round shape, then cracks will appear on it, or it will simply become deformed.

Bending machines for this process are used that are designed specifically for products of a certain type. You can purchase a bending machine, or you can make it yourself at home.

Making a bending machine with your own hands

To create a bending machine, the best option is a manual type of device. The design of the structure depends on the diameters with which it is to interact.

For pipe materials with a diameter of up to 20 mm, a simple device can be made consisting of steel pins placed in a concrete slab. The pipe inserted between the pins is bent to the required dimensions.

But when the diameter exceeds 20 mm, then for the construction it is necessary to develop more complex drawings of a bending machine for a profile pipe.

A pair of rollers with a round side section on the edges is mounted on a stable, powerful base. The radius of this roller edge must coincide with the diameter of the pipe product that needs to be bent.

The workpiece is inserted between the rollers and its end is fixed. The other end is attached to the winch and it is activated. When the angle on the pipe reaches the required parameter, the winch is stopped.

ADVICE. The network provides many drawings of pipe benders prepared by craftsmen. The main thing you should pay attention to is whether everything is in the diagram exact dimensions. Otherwise, the work of the bending machine may not be of high quality.

Watch the video

The entire process of creating a pipe bender with your own hands must be divided into the following stages.

1. Making shafts and attaching gears and bearings to them. The gears are secured through a key. It is recommended to purchase bearings complete with supports.
2. Gears and chain fit any machine. Parts from foreign cars are of higher quality.
3. Using welding machine, cook the base, and screw the pressure shaft to it.
4. Next, the spring nuts and the platform for them are welded.
5. Screw the support shafts at the bottom.
6. A tension chain is being constructed.
7. On final stage attach the handle to the shaft. It is recommended to use a handle that rotates to make it easier to bend.

Such a device quickly performs deformation by passing a pipe product through it.

The creation of such a bending machine is quite inexpensive. And such a device comes in handy in a private home very often, and in some cases it turns out to be simply irreplaceable.

These are the most simple pipe benders By watching video materials and studying the drawings, you can learn how to bend correctly and choose the optimal design option.

It’s not difficult to cope with such a task as making a bending machine, but it will save money. This savings can be about 20 - 30 thousand rubles.

See drawings of profile benders.

The question often arises: how to bend a profile pipe without a pipe bender? It is known that the implementation of various construction or repair work in a suburban area involves the widespread use of profiled pipes.

Using this type of rental has a number of advantages:

1. It has great strength with relatively low weight.
2. The profile pipe can be used when installing any structures from greenhouses to various canopies, gazebos or verandas.
3. Possibility of processing by welding or various types hand tools allow you to do most of the work yourself.
4. A structure assembled from a square profile will look much more attractive than its counterpart made from a traditional round pipe.

If you want to make an arched structure to decorate a gazebo or install a greenhouse, you will have to bend it manually or resort to the help of specialists.

Main features of bending technology

It is necessary to clearly understand the processes that occur in the metal during its controlled deformation. The main goal in this case is to obtain a uniformly curved shape without compromising the integrity of the rolled profile. To correctly bend a pipe of any cross-sectional shape, two methods are used:

• bending under the influence of external force;
• a combination of pressure and local heating at the bend site.

In both cases, the following processes occur simultaneously: the material of the outer layer of the arc will stretch, and inner layer shrink. As a result of bending, a significant excess of the load can lead to cracks and destruction of the outer wall of the pipe. The inner surface may lose its smoothness, resulting in clearly visible folds of metal. Violation of the process technology can also cause warping of the pipe walls or disrupt their alignment. This phenomenon will have an extremely negative impact on the aesthetics of the resulting arch and will cause its forced rejection.

Other parameters must also be taken into account. Great importance will have the radius of the desired curvature, the wall thickness of the workpiece, its material and cross-sectional dimensions.

The industry produces profile pipes that are square, rectangular, oval, flat oval or round section. Use of square and rectangular shape has its advantages. Such pipes are much more convenient when performing installation work. They simplify the marking, joining and fitting of structural elements with each other. It is much easier to attach to a flat surface of such a profile. various coatings or combine them with other materials.

Methods of cold bending of pipes: a - with rolling; b - winding; c - by drawing; g - rolling; d - on two supports; e- stretching; w-with internal hydrostatic pressure; and - through a die having a curved axis; k - by copiers.

Particular attention must be paid to the height of the section. This indicator determines the plastic parameters of a specific type of rolled material. Based on its value, the maximum possible bending is calculated. Let's denote the height with the letter h. Then, with a value of up to 20 mm, it is possible to bend the pipe without destruction in an area of ​​2.5 × h or more. In cases where h>20 mm, the formula looks like: 3.5 × h or more. Violation of this rule will lead to the formation of cracks or general warping of the metal.

It is necessary to take into account the thickness of the profile walls. If it does not exceed 2 mm, it is not advisable to bend the material. In such cases, welding must be used. Thicker walls can be bent, but increasing the thickness makes it much more difficult.

The material of the rolled profile can also have an influence on the process. Pipes made of low-alloy and carbon steels have significant elasticity. Such a material, after removing the external load, tends to restore its previous shape. This will require repeated processing until the required arch radius is maintained. Copper pipes are devoid of this drawback. Due to the high plasticity of the material, they easily change shape and retain the changed state after removing the load.

Profile bending methods and the sequence of their implementation

The choice of bending method depends primarily on the size of the cross-section and the available tools and equipment. Typically, small materials are cold bent. Such pipes have sufficient plasticity and are amenable to controlled deformation with minor external forces. For profile big size heating is usually necessary. Temperature effects significantly increase ductility and reduce the required amount of applied pressure.

For round pipes, heat treatment is used for diameters of 100 mm or more. For square and rectangular products, the calculation takes into account the cutting height. If the profile height is up to 10 mm, heating is not applied. With a height of 10 to 40 mm, the processing method is selected based on the experience and capabilities of the performer. When the size exceeds 40 mm, local heating is necessary.

The presence of a pipe bender allows you to produce arched structures without additional heat treatment. In cases where machining is not possible, test bending should be performed. The profile is clamped in a vice, and a larger diameter pipe is put on its protruding end, which is used as a lever for the applied force. There is no need to apply heat.

Bending using local heating

The technology for this treatment involves filling the pipe with sand. Its presence in the internal cavity of the product guarantees the quality of workmanship and the uniformity of the arch.

Initially, you need to prepare two wooden plugs. To seal tightly, they must have a pyramidal shape. The length of the plugs must exceed the width of the profile by 10 times. After manufacturing, the plugs are tried on the pipe holes, checking the tightness of the fit. Next, longitudinal grooves are sawed on one of the plugs on the side surfaces. Their presence is necessary to discharge superheated air from the pipe when heat treatment. The location of the future bend of the product is determined and the metal is preheated.

After this, they begin to prepare the sand. It is best to use dry and pure material medium grit. It is successively sifted through sieves with mesh sizes of 2 and then 0.7 mm. This removes large impurities that can cause a bumpy surface, and dust that can cake inside the pipe. The filler is heated to a temperature of 150ºC.

We hammer a plug into the pipe that does not have longitudinal cuts, and pour the prepared sand through the funnel. When filling, it is necessary to tap the walls of the profile with a wooden mallet to ensure compaction of the material. After final filling, the second plug is installed and tightly plugged.

The fully prepared pipe is placed in a vice or pipe clamp next to the template. If there is a pipe seam, it must be located on the side surface of the arch. The area marked with chalk is heated with a blowtorch until red and bent in one smooth, unsharp movement. The resulting arch is compared with the template, after which the plugs are removed and the filler is poured out. It must be remembered that repeated heating is extremely undesirable, as it significantly reduces the strength of the material.

Bending without heating

The question of how to bend profile pipes without a pipe bender can be solved without exposure to temperature. The use of filler depends on the cross-sectional dimensions. If its height does not exceed 10 mm, sand is not needed. For large sizes use bulk material highly desirable. As an alternative, it is possible to use a steel spring made of wire with a diameter of at least 2 mm. It is preliminarily placed in the place of the future bend to give it a smooth, uniform contour. The technology of the process itself is completely the same as the hot method, with the exception of heating the metal.

The use of manual pipe benders or specialized machines during the process of bending profiled metal significantly speeds up and facilitates the process

The work of professionals guarantees high accuracy contour and its quality. But if the possibility of attracting them is not available, you must remember that this work can be done independently, while significantly reducing your costs.

Garden bench, smooth curves entrance gate, a porch decorated with wrought iron decor and garden arch All these items make the estate unique and cozy, giving a feeling of calm and tranquility.

But this is only when what was conceived has already been embodied in the finished composition, but when in the creative process the question arises - how to bend the profile to a touching mood is very, very far away.

And, although other technologies, such as electric welding or metal cutting, can be learned by simply buying a regular inverter or a grinder with a set of cutting and emery wheels, in order for a profile pipe to acquire an elegant bend, you need not only to have in your arsenal special equipment- pipe bender, but also have a certain understanding of how the workpiece profile itself changes.

It is quite naive to expect that everything will work out smoothly and simply the first time, but on the other hand, only optimists are able to learn from their mistakes.

When working with a material such as a profile pipe, it is important not only to understand the process of changing the configuration, but also to imagine what changes occur in the material itself.

Profile pipe, what if we're talking about about a profile pipe of ordinary rectangular or square cross-section, has slightly different characteristics than the usual round pipe, :

• The first is a feature of production; a profile pipe is basically welded structure, made by hot or cold drawing followed by joining the edges of the workpiece by welding.
• Secondly, the section itself has non-uniform wall thickness. This shape is characterized by a significant, up to 30% thickening of the metal in the corners of the rectangle.
• Thirdly, by simply applying force to the place of bending, you can quickly simply break it, because when deformed by bending, in a part of this shape, one of the sides experiences compression, one side experiences tension, but the two sides of the profile have a combined deformation - in a narrow section the profile is stretched and shrinks at the same time.

And therefore, before bending the profile pipe yourself, to obtain the correct one, the right size and the shape of the workpiece, it is necessary, at a minimum, to take care of using even the most primitive, but extremely necessary equipment for bending pipes.

Basic methods of bending profile pipes

Before bending a profile pipe at home, even using some means of mechanization or simple hand tools You should pay attention to some methods of working with profile pipes. For a separate piece product, for example, a gate, there is no practical point in buying special equipment, but you still need to know how to give the profile an unusual look.

Today, as for ordinary profile pipes with square, rectangular, complex and round sections, there are several methods for changing the shape:

• bending using a template
• manual roller pipe bender
• mechanical pipe bender with adjustable bending radius
• hot bending method
• segment method

The use of any of the listed methods allows you to obtain the required profile shape, while the quality of such a change in shape and the ability to correct errors largely depend on qualifications and ability to work with metal.

Attention! It is very important to understand that when using profiled pipes, you need to know about the properties of the metal itself, for example, for steel pipes, bending is possible by all methods, but for copper pipes, in addition to all the listed methods, there are two more - the water method and bending using a flexible cable.

In any case, the experience of how to bend a profile pipe with your own hands, an understanding of how to work with pipes of different cross-sections and sizes will come with time, as well as an understanding of what mistakes were made and methods for correcting them.

Errors when working with profile pipes

The process of bending a profile pipe is nothing more than deforming the metal in order to give it the necessary shape. At the same time, as practice shows, in the process when it happens most often there may be the following problems:

• the appearance of small folds on inner surface profile
• bending with violation of the axis - torsion of the part, bending in several planes
• plane or weld rupture
• crumpling or breaking, cracks appearing at the bend

Such shortcomings mainly arise due to several reasons:

• low-quality metal profile
• incorrect choice of bend radius
• applying too much force
• incorrect, multidirectional application of effort during work

But this common problems for cases when using bending machines and devices. But how to bend a profile pipe without the slightest experience and additional equipment It's worth thinking about.

Indeed, in this case, many more problems will arise, ranging from simple abrasions and bruises, ending with a broken instrument and disappointment in the started project. Therefore, before embarking on the process of profile bending, you should very seriously consider the feasibility of using bent elements in the project.

From simple to complex

Using bent profile you should keep in mind the possibility of its independent bending.

Before bending a profile pipe with your own hands, you should critically evaluate your capabilities and take the most optimal solution, do the work yourself or find a company where this process will be performed by a machine.

Most often, at home, small profiles of 15*15, 20*20, 20*40 mm are used, theoretically independently; without the use of machines and devices, you can bend the profile to a size of 60 mm, but this is only theoretically. But using a grinder, it is quite possible to bend a pipe of the required size and radius.

In practice, this process looks like this:

• a bend pattern is cut out of paper
• segments are cut from a strip of paper equal to the thickness of the profile pipe in such a way that the required radius of the template is obtained as a result of bending
• using a scriber or pencil, a paper template with cutouts is transferred to the pipe
• grinder with thin cutting wheels 1.2 mm thick, appropriate incisions are made and segments are removed
• the pipe is bent, the radius is checked for correctness
• if necessary, the seams at the bends are welded using electric or gas welding

From a technological point of view, this is the simplest and most effective way to give a large cross-section profile the required bending radius. In order to perform this operation, it is enough to have basic skills in working with power tools and correctly calculate the locations for the cuts.

Using templates for bending profile pipes

To put several identical parts into production for small-scale production, for example, for fencing a balcony or terrace, it is recommended to use a template method of bending a profile pipe.

For this operation it is quite enough to have minimal amount tools and materials:

• bench vice
• hammer
• part template

The general process can be represented as follows:

• a profile template is made
• secured in a vice
• the workpiece is fixed in a special clamp and then goes through shaping the profile into the required shape

From the point of view of how to bend a profile pipe at home, this method allows you to form the required number of blanks of the same type with minimal deviations from the template.

Most often, this method is used to form parts from a thin-walled profile pipe of small size from 15 to 40 mm.

Universal pipe bender for large radii

From the point of view of work productivity, a three-roll pipe bender is best suited to obtain a large bending radius of a profile pipe.

This mechanical device allows you to produce workpieces of any length and size. Simple in design and efficient device It has a frame base in its design, three shafts rigidly mounted on bearings with a toothed chain drive.

Two shafts are located on the base, and the middle shaft, which has an upper location, is located on a movable slide. To form the profile, the slide has a screw that regulates the degree of clamping of the workpiece.

The profile pipe is pulled through the shafts, gradually forming the desired bending radius. By pressing the upper shaft, it is formed desired bend profile.

Among the ways to bend a profile pipe, this is the most effective and high-quality method.

The video shows how to bend a profile pipe at home:

In demand in many areas of life.

They are used to make designs for various products in industry, construction and everyday life. Often for these purposes it is necessary to give such pipes a bent shape using a certain deformation. Bending of profile pipes can be carried out using special machines called pipe benders.

Without a pipe bender, it is difficult to give the desired shape to the product. They can be purchased ready-made, produced in an industrial environment, or you can make them yourself if the need for such a machine arises periodically for home needs. To do this, it is important to know how you can make your own device for bending profile products.

There are two options for bending profile pipes with your own hands: cold and hot.

Both of them have the goal of maintaining the integrity of the profile shape when bending the product. To do this, in contrast to the external compressive force during the bending procedure inner space profile is filled with a certain substance that prevents compression.

With the cold method, this substance is frozen water, and with the hot method - river sand.

Features of the cold method

Bending the workpiece using water is usually used in winter time in severe frosts. To do this, the profile pipe is hermetically sealed with a cork plug on one side, and filled with water on the other side.

The product is left in the cold vertical position sealed side down until the water freezes completely. After this, the process of bending the product to the desired radius is carried out.

Hot bending method

The method is based on heating the bend area of ​​the profile product. It can be used at any time of the year. The pipe is also sealed at one end by closing it with a stopper or any available means.

Then river sand is poured inside on the other side and the end is closed with a plug. The length of the plug must be approximately 2 times the diameter of the pipe so that it can support the weight of the sand placed in the pipe.

The bend area is marked with chalk or a marker and heated. To allow the gases formed during heating to escape, it is advisable to drill small holes at the ends of the product.

When the section is heated to the required temperature, the pipe is bent on a machine that corresponds to the parameters of the product.

Important! When bending a pipe, do not allow the metal to spark.

The diagram of the hot method of bending a profile pipe is shown in the figure:

Design features of machines for bending various profile pipes

Despite the ease of bending profile products, you need to take into account their characteristics before you start bending.

The design of the bending device should be selected taking into account the dimensions and material properties of the profiles. This is due to the fact that products of different diameters and wall thicknesses, as well as those made of different metal alloys, have different critical minimum diameter bending

Its values ​​are indicated in special tables, which take into account all pipe parameters. When bending the profile lower critical value radius, the strength qualities of the metal at the bending point are significantly reduced.

Table technical characteristics:

A machine for bending a profile pipe, made by yourself, can have different device. Its complexity depends on the parameters of the pipe and its characteristics.

For products with a cross section up to 2-2.5 cm, you can use the simplest device options using concrete slab or a prepared template of the planned bending arc.

For cross sections profiles bigger size The design of the machine is more complex; it uses a method of bending when squeezing the pipe while passing through rolls, similar to a rolling mill.

Let's take a closer look at how to make such devices.

Simplified types of pipe bender

1. Using a concrete slab

To create the structure you will need a concrete slab, diamond or Victory drill for concrete and metal pins.

The device is manufactured as follows:

• a schematic mesh with cells of 4×4 cm or 5×5 cm is applied to the surface of the concrete slab;
• at the intersection of the grid lines, recesses are drilled for metal pins;
• the pins inserted into the cells are carefully secured concrete pouring to prevent them from falling out under the load from the pipe.

The diagram of such a device is shown in the figure:

The process of bending the profile is carried out as follows:

1. The pipe is inserted between two adjacent pins and, with the help of force, is bent in the desired direction. The bending radius can be changed by moving along the elements of the pins located diagonally.
2. The bending force must be applied gradually to prevent unnecessary deformation of the profile. To make work easier, the profile can be slightly heated.
3. It is not recommended to remove the pipe from the device immediately after deformation in order to secure the resulting bend. For reliability, the ends of the product are temporarily welded to an auxiliary steel rod.

2. Using a template

The most simple device for profile products in demand in home use, is a method of bending according to a pre-prepared template. You can bend not only products made of aluminum alloys, but also steel pipes small sizes.

The template is made from wooden boards having a thickness slightly greater than the diameter (sectional size) of the product being bent. For ease of work, the template boards are cut at an angle towards the table plane. The template itself is fixed on the table with screws.

In addition, a stop is attached to the working plane of the table at a short distance from the template to hold the pipe.

Roller machine design

The operating principle of such a machine is based on rolling a profile pipe through moving rolls, in which it acquires the desired bend under pressure. The movement occurs using two horizontal rollers installed on the base of the channel.

A homemade machine can be made with the following parts available:

• three rollers having an axis of rotation for bending;
• profile channel for manufacturing the machine base frame;
• drive transmission chain;
• driving mechanism.

The manufacturing procedure for the machine should be as follows:

1. First you need to make a frame frame from metal channel. The channel elements for the frame can be connected by welding, but for reliability it is better to secure the structure with bolts.
2. A U-shaped structure is installed vertically in the center of the horizontal frame, on top of which a shaft with a coupling is attached. A pin is inserted into the center of the coupling, onto which a handle is welded, and a roller is installed on the side.
3. Two cylindrical rolls with rotating rollers are mounted on the horizontal frame of the machine base at the same distance from the center.
4. A chain is attached to the rollers to set the mechanism in motion using a hand drive.

The rolls are fastened with bolts. To do this, slots are drilled into the channel to allow the rollers to move to change the bending radius setting.

Working on this homemade machine done like this:

• the profile pipe is inserted onto horizontal feed rollers;
• By rotating the handle, the clamp presses the pipe with the third roller. As a result, the profile deforms when passing through this zone.
• the initial deforming pressure will change the pipe configuration slightly, so the process of pulling through the rolls must be repeated until the desired bend is obtained.

The bending radius of the profile depends on the distance between the lower cylinders, which can be changed using rollers by moving them and fixing them with a stopper.