Do You Need In-House Pipe and Tube Bending Equipment?
A pipe bending machine gives you the equipment you need to make bends in your facility. This can be a great addition to a range of businesses from auto parts specialists to power stations to factories. However, before buying your own bending equipment, there are several issues you should consider.
1. Do you need to do a lot of pipe bending in house?
In many cases, businesses outsource their pipe bending needs simply because they don't have enough demand to merit investing in equipment. Ultimately, you need to decide how much bending you do and whether or not in-house bending equipment would help you. You also have to factor in costs such as hiring someone who understands how to work the induction bending equipment or training one of your current employees.
2. Do you have room for a bending machine?
Once you determine if it is cost effective to have bending equipment on site, you need to determine how much space you have to devote to the equipment. You can get small basic pipe bending machines that can be attached to a work bench. These hand operated machines are great for the occasional bend when it's really needed. However, they can be a bit cumbersome for constant use. Conversely, if you have the room, you can buy large induction bending machines that measure roughly 38 metres long.
3. What supplies do you need?
When you purchase pipe bending equipment for your business, you have the choice between a lot of different materials. Ideally, so that you can start making bends right away, you should opt for equipment that comes with custom dies. That helps you create the shapes you need, and ideally, you want a bend die, a clamp die, a pressure die, a wiper die and a mandrel.
4. What type of bending do you need?
Depending on the type of pipes you use and the type of bends you need to create, there are a range of machines that may work. You can invest in induction bending machines. These are great for mechanical tube and pipe formation. They work perfectly with high-performance metal. For more precise bends, you may prefer the precision of a CNC bending machine, but, if you need mandrel bends, you may need a mandrel NC bending machine.
To help you determine whether or not pipe bending equipment is right for your facility, contact a bending specialist.