In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time. You don’t need a bending machine for the job; we’ll make do with a small set of tools that we have in the workshop.
There is an easy way to do this without special tools like a sheet bender.
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How to bend a sheet of metal evenly
Many people ask the question: how to bend a sheet of metal evenly?
And it is not surprising, because when carrying out construction work it may be necessary to perform a similar procedure. Small diameter pipes are bent using a vice. Very often during construction processes there is a need to bend pipes of quite large diameter. For such work, special machines are needed that bend metal sheets and pipes. The bendable component is not deformed.
Metal bending and its main methods
Not many novice craftsmen know how to bend a profile or metal pipe. To do this, it is important to know the technologies for bending various workpieces.
At home, you can bend sheet metal using hand tools. Before you start bending sheet metal with your own hands, you need to accurately calculate the dimensions of the workpiece. It is important to understand that the length of the part to be processed must be greater than that of the finished product. For calculations, ready-made tables are used, which can be found in engineering reference books or on the Internet.
Bending sheet metal at home
Metal pipe bending
When replacing plumbing, it is important to know how to bend water and sewer pipes at home. For this purpose, a manual or mechanized method is used. The process of changing the shape of the pipe represents a force impact on the workpiece.
To bend the pipe without breaks or folds, a cold and hot method is used. The first option is suitable for bending pipes with a small diameter. Large-diameter pipes are initially heated to increase ductility.
Metal bending
To bend the profile, it is necessary to use the rolling method. In this case, there is not enough information on how to bend an aluminum sheet. For this purpose, profile bending machines are used. They can accommodate up to 5 rolls. To make it easier to bend high-strength workpieces, the metal can be preheated. In this case, high frequency current is used.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly? Stages:
Tip: when bending parts, its thickness, ductility are taken into account and the radius of curvature is determined.
Metal bending technology
Bending sheet metal involves performing certain actions that cause the material to take the desired shape. The process of bending metal is performed without the help of welding or other connections that reduce the durability and strength of the material.
When folded, the outer layers of the product are stretched, and the inner layers are compressed. The technology is to bend one part relative to the other at the required angle.
During bending, the metal sheet undergoes deformation. Its value depends on the thickness of the product, ductility, bending angle and bending speed. The process itself is performed on equipment, due to which no damage is caused. If a part is bent incorrectly, various defects may occur on its surface, as a result of which the metal receives various damage along the bending line, which can lead to its breakage.
The bending stress must be greater than its stiffness limit. Plastic deformation may occur as a result of bending. Moreover, after the bending operation, the finished structure will retain the shape that was given to it.
Advantages of the process of smooth bending of metal sheets:
- High process productivity.
- As a result of bending, you can obtain a workpiece without a seam.
- The finished structure is highly resistant to corrosion.
- No rust will form at the bend.
- The design is solid.
- High strength.
- Special equipment is quite expensive.
- Manual bending is quite labor-intensive.
Unlike structures made by bending metal, welded structures have a weld that is susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Product bending is done manually or using special devices. Manual bending is a complex and time-consuming procedure that is performed using pliers and a hammer. If you need to evenly bend a sheet of metal of small thickness, use a mallet.
Bending of sheet metal is carried out using rollers, roller machines or a press. To shape the material into a cylinder, hydraulic, manual or electrically conductive rollers are used. Pipes are produced using a similar method.
Sheet metal bending is used for home construction purposes to produce gutters, metal frames, profiles, pipes and other structures. When bending the material with your own hands, you can make pipes of different diameters. Using machines, zinc-coated products are bent. To do this, you should make a machine, preferably using a template.
When bending any product, its parameters should be determined. The length of the structure is calculated taking into account the radius. For workpieces that are bent at right angles, without the formation of roundings, the allowance should be 0.6 mm of the total thickness of the sheet.
You can bend the following metals with your own hands:
The bending radius will depend on the quality of the metal and the bending option.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly with your own hands?
To make brackets using the bending method, the following tools and materials are used:
- vice;
- a metal sheet;
- frame;
- hammer;
- power saw for metal;
- bar.
In advance, according to the scheme, the length of the workpiece strip is calculated and the bending of the metal sheet is calculated. For each bend, a reserve of 0.5 mm of thickness is made and 1 mm for bending the ends to the side. According to a pre-drawn diagram, the workpiece is cut out and the bending point is marked. In order to bend the material, use a vice with squares.
First, at the bending level, you need to clamp the workpiece in a vice. Then the first bend is made using a hammer. The workpiece is rearranged in a vice and clamped by the frame together with the block, after which a second bend is performed.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly: making a machine with your own hands
In order to create a device that allows you to bend a metal sheet at home, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- corner 80 mm;
- bolts;
- metal beam I-beam 80 mm;
- loops;
- welding machine;
- clamps;
- handles;
- table.
All work begins with preparing the base of a homemade machine from a profile - an 80 mm I-beam. After this, an 80 mm corner is screwed onto the top of the I-beam with two bolts. During bending, it will secure the workpiece. Three hinges from steel doors are welded under the corner, the other halves of which are welded to the corner itself.
To perform bending, two 800 mm handles are welded to the corner, with which you can turn the machine. The sheet bender is pressed to the table using two clamps. The clamping angle is unscrewed. Then the workpiece is laid, and the corner is moved into place.
If necessary, it can be raised without removing it. After this, the material is threaded between the I-beam and the angle. The metal sheet is carefully aligned. The bolts are tightened and by turning the workpiece is bent to the required angle.
A homemade machine is not a universal device, since it is used for bending sheets of small thickness. If there is a need to bend material with a large thickness, you should use machines made in production.
Tin pipe in 5 minutes without a sheet bender. Personal experience.
Tin pipe in 5 minutes without a sheet bender.
Personal experience. I bought sheet metal and let’s rack my brains on how to give it the required shape. First, I found a steel pipe of the required diameter and tried to tap the sheet around it, but the sheet stubbornly took its original shape and did not want to become round. In the end, I came up with this algorithm and got the job done very quickly.
1. I calculated how much tin I need for a pipe of the diameter I need.
Picture taken from the Internet Picture taken from the Internet
I needed a pipe with a diameter of 30 cm. We calculate: the length of a piece of tin = 3.14 x 30 = 94.2 cm (plus 1.5 cm from each edge for a connection (for example, a rivet).
Tin pipe in 5 minutes without a sheet bender. Personal experience.
3. Take a metal pipe with a diameter much smaller than yours should be (I came across a 50mm thick one, maybe 70mm. It’s already inconvenient to hold anything thicker with your hands)
In the absence of a large sheet of metal, I will show you on a small one, which I found. In the absence of a large sheet of metal, I will show you on a small one, which I found.
4. Place a sheet of tin exactly along the edge of the pipe and twist it onto the pipe with your hands:
Bending technology - basic information
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
Basic principles
Metal bending is carried out using various methods. Welding is often used, but temperature exposure can change the shape and properties of the finished product. This reduces performance properties and manufacturing accuracy.
Since when bending metal, the outer layers of the metal stretch, and the inner ones begin to compress, it is necessary to bend part of the rolled metal relative to another by a given angle. The angle can be found using calculations.
The product is deformed to those values that are within the specified limits. They depend on the following parameters:
- Thickness of the metal sheet;
- How much is the bending angle?
- How durable is the material;
- Speed and time of the procedure.
The permissible deformation indicator will depend on them. The next step is to select the type of bending.
Types of equipment
For the modern metal bending process, there are many options for the latest devices. In production, presses are usually used , which can be divided into the following types:
- Rotary, bending metal by moving between special rollers. Suitable for the production of large-sized products in small batches.
- Rotary presses bend the plates using bending beams and two plates. The stationary plate is located at the bottom, and at the top there is a rotating plate. The optimal option for processing sheet metal products with a simple relief and small dimensions.
- Standard pneumatic or hydraulic presses are used for mass or small-scale products made of stainless steel or other metal. Bending is done between the punch and the die. Due to this, even thicker products can be processed. It should be noted that hydraulic presses are used more often than pneumatic ones due to their simpler operation and cost.
Of all the types of equipment described above, the most modern is rotary. It operates automatically, and the worker does not need to calculate the optimal force value in advance.
Rotary presses are also considered automated. Here one sheet is sent to the device, which must be positioned as required by the task. Most often used in small enterprises where they work with metal parts.
How to bend a sheet of metal at home?
Bending sheet metal allows you to obtain a product of the desired shape with relatively little effort. Because welding requires more effort, both physical and financial. A sheet of metal can be bent manually or using automation, but the general principles of operation remain the same. It is the features of this process that will be discussed.
Metal bending is carried out using various methods. Welding is often used, but temperature exposure can change the shape and properties of the finished product. This reduces performance properties and manufacturing accuracy.
Since when bending metal, the outer layers of the metal stretch, and the inner ones begin to compress, it is necessary to bend part of the rolled metal relative to another by a given angle. The angle can be found using calculations.
The product is deformed to those values that are within the specified limits. They depend on the following parameters:
- Thickness of the metal sheet;
- How much is the bending angle?
- How durable is the material;
- Speed and time of the procedure.
The permissible deformation indicator will depend on them. The next step is to select the type of bending.
Types of equipment
For the modern metal bending process, there are many options for the latest devices. In production, presses are usually used , which can be divided into the following types:
- Rotary, bending metal by moving between special rollers. Suitable for the production of large-sized products in small batches.
- Rotary presses bend the plates using bending beams and two plates. The stationary plate is located at the bottom, and at the top there is a rotating plate. The optimal option for processing sheet metal products with a simple relief and small dimensions.
- Standard pneumatic or hydraulic presses are used for mass or small-scale products made of stainless steel or other metal. Bending is done between the punch and the die. Due to this, even thicker products can be processed. It should be noted that hydraulic presses are used more often than pneumatic ones due to their simpler operation and cost.
Of all the types of equipment described above, the most modern is rotary. It operates automatically, and the worker does not need to calculate the optimal force value in advance.
Rotary presses are also considered automated. Here one sheet is sent to the device, which must be positioned as required by the task. Most often used in small enterprises where they work with metal parts.
Self-production of the machine
Sometimes you need to make a machine at home . This will make bending metal easier and increase productivity. Here you will need a corner, a metal beam, hinges with bolts, clamps, handles, a table and a welding machine. The procedure is as follows:
- The base is made of metal; an I-beam profile is suitable.
- The corner is attached to the top of the beam using bolts.
- Three hinges are welded under the corner using a welding machine.
- We bend the aluminum sheet by turning the corner.
- Two clamps ensure tight pressing of the metal.
- The corner does not have to be removed; you can raise it. Place the product between the profile and the corner. Then a metal sheet is aligned along the edge.
Check the bolts to ensure they are secure. Turn the crossbars and bend them so as to form the desired angle. This will avoid wasting time on angle calculations.
Handmade
This work is usually done with hand scissors .
Marks are placed in the right places along which manual bending of the metal will be carried out. The sheet is securely fixed in a vice. The first fold is made with a massive hammer. The product is moved to a new bend location, clamped with a block of wood, and bent in the desired direction. Upon completion of the work, you must ensure that the product meets the established standards. The check is carried out using a square and, if necessary, defects are eliminated.
Self-production of the machine
Sometimes you need to make a machine at home . This will make bending metal easier and increase productivity. Here you will need a corner, a metal beam, hinges with bolts, clamps, handles, a table and a welding machine. The procedure is as follows:
- The base is made of metal; an I-beam profile is suitable.
- The corner is attached to the top of the beam using bolts.
- Three hinges are welded under the corner using a welding machine.
- We bend the aluminum sheet by turning the corner.
- Two clamps ensure tight pressing of the metal.
- The corner does not have to be removed; you can raise it. Place the product between the profile and the corner. Then a metal sheet is aligned along the edge.
Check the bolts to ensure they are secure. Turn the crossbars and bend them so as to form the desired angle. This will avoid wasting time on angle calculations.
Whatever the devices, the main principles remain the same . By following them, you can obtain products that meet the standards and wishes of the customer.
How to bend an iron sheet without a bending machine
In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time. You don’t need a bending machine for the job; we’ll make do with a small set of tools that we have in the workshop.
There is an easy way to do this without special tools like a sheet bender.
How to bend a metal plate at home?
In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time.
Bending technology - basic information
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
- radius,
- multi-angle,
- single-angle,
- U-shaped.
A special case is flexion with stretching. This technology is used in the manufacture of parts with large bending radii and small diameters. When making parts with your own hands, the process is combined with operations such as cutting or punching.
Soft types of metals and alloys, such as brass, copper, and aluminum, are well suited for home processing. The production of products by bending is carried out on rolling or rolling machines, or manually.
The last procedure is quite labor-intensive. Bending is done using pliers and a rubber hammer. If the sheet is thin, use a mallet.
How to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands
Various sheet bending operations are an important part of the general work on building or renovating your own home. Without the use of special equipment, it is impossible to perform them efficiently.
For one-time bending of sheet blanks, it is permissible to rent a suitable device from a neighbor or friend. But if such procedures are often performed, it is more advisable to have a manual sheet bending machine of your own making on hand.
If you have certain skills, tools and space, making a homemade sheet bender is not so bad.
Model of a homemade sheet bender
Drawing up technical specifications
Thanks to the capabilities of the Internet, you can quickly find the required set of drawings, and on the channel you can even watch advertising and informational videos about the design and operating principle of the required unit.
However, all these materials are strictly individual, and therefore were intended by their authors for specific sheet-bending operations. Therefore, before building a sheet bending machine with your own hands, you need to make the right choice of its future technical characteristics.
The main ones should be the following:
- maximum width of bent metal, mm;
- maximum thickness of the workpiece, mm;
- desired range of bending angles;
- overall dimensions of the mechanism (length, width, height);
- required bending accuracy.
The direct choice of the limit values of the listed parameters depends on the conditions of use of the machine that will bend sheet metal products.
In particular, when constructing a roof, you will most likely have to deal with galvanized sheet or steel with a thickness of no more than 1 mm.
When processing copper, an even thinner sheet or strip is often used, and when making fences and railings with your own hands, on the contrary, the thickness of the metal can be 2 - 3 mm.
Sheet material bending technology
Let's look at the process using the example of making a lid for a smokehouse. The sheet thickness in our case is 2 mm.
Make markings on the sheet. For each bend, 35 mm is provided; for bending, it is recommended to subtract 4 mm from this size. Accordingly, you need to draw a rectangle 508×308 mm on the sheet, the bends will be 31 mm long. Draw lines under the ruler.
So that the sheet can be easily bent, it is necessary to cut small grooves. Put on safety glasses or a mask and use a grinder to smoothly walk along the lines, cutting depth is approximately one millimeter, but no more. Disc thickness 1 mm.
Change the disk to 2.5 mm and go over the lines again. There are two reasons to use two disks.
- A thin disk is much easier to work with, it gives an even cut, and it’s easier to control the depth.
- The wide disc increases the kerf, which allows you to bend metal without resting on the edges.
Cut through one side of the corner; they are completely cut off after bending.
Start bending the sheet. Place it exactly along the sawing line on the profile, bend one side first, then the opposite.
Tap gradually along the entire length, bend slowly, do not try to make a large angle at once.
Repeat the operations with the remaining edges of the sheet. If the line is not perfect, then place the part on its edge and trim the problem areas. Check the product. Everything is fine - cut off the remaining tails with a grinder.
Boil the cut areas at the corners. Using a grinder, remove scale, metal stains and sharp edges, and give it a marketable appearance.
How to make a pipe from tin without a machine
Home craftsmen have come up with many ways to bend a metal sheet into a pipe without using a machine.
We offer an option using a blank of suitable size. It is made from an old pipe of suitable diameter.
A sheet of metal is laid out on the floor and a piece of the required length is cut from it. To determine the required size, the required pipe diameter is multiplied by 3.14 and added 30 mm for the seam.
A pair of tubes are welded to the blank on both sides, perpendicular to one another. The crowbar should be freely inserted into their holes.
Master's recommendation: by bending a metal sheet using a blank, it is convenient to make pipes no more than a meter in length.
To use the device, the effort of three people is required. The blank is placed on the edge of the sheet. One person stands on top, two others screw the metal onto the blank, turning the crowbar 90 degrees.
How to bend a sheet of metal at home
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
A special case is flexion with stretching. This technology is used in the manufacture of parts with large bending radii and small diameters. When making parts with your own hands, the process is combined with operations such as cutting or punching.
Soft types of metals and alloys, such as brass, copper, and aluminum, are well suited for home processing. The production of products by bending is carried out on rolling or rolling machines, or manually.
The last procedure is quite labor-intensive. Bending is done using pliers and a rubber hammer. If the sheet is thin, use a mallet.
How to bend at right angles
To bend a bracket from a metal sheet, you will need a set of tools and accessories, consisting of:
- vice,
- hammer,
- power saws,
- bar,
- frames
The length of the strip is made according to the scheme, with the calculation that there should be a margin of 0.5 mm for each bend, plus another millimeter for folds on both sides. The workpiece is placed in a vice with squares. Clamping it along the fold line, process it with a hammer.
After this, the future bracket is unfolded in a vice, clamped with a frame and a block, and the other side is formed. The workpiece is pulled out, the required length of the sides is measured, making bends along the bottom.
Use a triangle to check the correctness of the angle, correcting inaccuracies with a hammer. When performing both operations, the workpiece is pressed with a block and a frame. The finished staple is filed to the desired size.
How to make a sheet bending machine yourself
To give the metal the desired configuration, tinsmiths use a sheet bending machine. But what should a master do if he doesn’t have special equipment at hand?
In fact, the question of how to bend sheet metal at home is easily resolved. It is enough to use your own ingenuity and basic equipment to make a simple machine.
To make a bender for a metal profile, you will need:
- I-beam 80 mm,
- fasteners (bolts),
- loops,
- corner 80 mm,
- clamps,
- a pair of handles.
You will also need a welding machine and a stable table on which the finished machine is mounted.
The basis of the device is an I-beam, to which a corner is screwed with two bolts, holding the workpiece during the bending process. Three door hinges are attached under it by welding. Their second part is welded directly to the corner.
In order for the machine to easily turn while bending sheet metal, handles are attached to it on both sides. The finished machine is secured to the table with clamps. Before laying the workpiece, the corner is unscrewed or lifted. The sheet is pressed, aligned along the edge and folded, turning the machine by the handles. The homemade device is only suitable for processing workpieces of small thickness.
Bending a metal sheet with a hammer
In order to bend a sheet up to 1.2 mm thick at a right angle, use the simplest tools - pliers (clamps) and a rubber hammer.
The processing is carried out on a flat wooden block. The fold line is drawn using a pencil and ruler. Then the sheet is clamped with pliers so that their ends fall exactly on the marking line.
The edge is gradually bent upward, moving along the fold. Once the angle approaches 90 degrees, the sheet is placed on the block and finally leveled using a hammer.
Narrow parts, such as tin edges, are made in this way.
Tip: Use a rubber or wooden hammer to prevent dents from forming on the metal. If bending is performed with a conventional tool, you need to take a textolite plate as a gasket.
It is convenient to bend sheets up to 2 mm thick on a desktop. The metal is positioned so that the marking line falls on the edge. A steel corner is placed under the material being processed.
The sheet is clamped in a vice using two wooden blocks. Bending is done using a hammer, tapping the metal from one end to the other. At the same time, the edge of the sheet is directed downward so that it ultimately lies completely on the corner fixed along the edge of the table. This method can be used to make products of any width, including boxes or barbecues.
Making pipes without using a machine
Home craftsmen have invented a lot of ways to bend a metal sheet into a pipe without using a machine.
We propose to consider the simplest option using a blank of suitable size. It is made from an old pipe of suitable diameter.
A sheet of metal is laid out on the floor and a piece of the required length is cut from it. To determine the required size, the required pipe diameter is multiplied by 3.14 and added 30 mm for the seam.
A pair of tubes are welded to the blank on both sides, perpendicular to one another. The crowbar should be freely inserted into their holes.
Master's recommendation: by bending a metal sheet using a blank, it is convenient to make pipes no more than a meter in length.
To use the device, the effort of three people is required. The blank is placed on the edge of the sheet. One person stands on top, two others screw the metal onto the blank, turning the crowbar 90 degrees.
Types of sheet benders
There are three types of sheet metal bending machines:
- Simple manual ones, in which metal bending occurs when force is applied in a certain place. These units make it possible to bend sheet material in a straight line at any angle - from a few degrees to almost 360°.
For bending sheet metal
To obtain radial bending of a metal sheet
All these devices are classified as sheet bending machines. The easiest way to make one with your own hands is the unit of the first group, a little more difficult - the third (rollers for sheet metal). So we’ll talk about them - from how to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands.
Simple manual
Shaped metal parts cost a lot of money. Even more than corrugated sheeting or metal tiles, therefore it makes sense to make a simple machine for bending sheet metal, and with its help make as many corners, ebbs and other similar parts as you need, and exclusively to your own dimensions.
If you're worried about appearance, you shouldn't be. On sale today there is sheet metal not only galvanized, but also painted. In all designs, the sheet is fixed tightly, so that when working it does not slide on the table, which means that the paint does not rub off or get scratched. It is also not damaged in places of bending. So the products will look quite decent. If you try, they will look even better than what they sell on the market.
Powerful sheet bending machine from brands
This sheet bending machine will require a flat surface (table), preferably metal, three corners with a shelf width of at least 45 mm, and a metal thickness of at least 3 mm. If you plan to bend long workpieces (more than a meter), it is advisable to take wider shelves and thicker metal. You can use brands, but this is for bending metal sheets of large thickness and length.
You will also need metal door hinges (two pieces), two large diameter screws (10-20 mm), wings on them, and a spring. You will also need a welding machine - weld the hinges and make holes (or a drill with a metal drill bit).
For a homemade sheet bender, a 70 mm brand was used - three pieces of 2.5 m each, two bolts of 20 mm in diameter, a small piece of metal 5 mm thick (for cutting jibs), a spring. Here's the procedure:
- Two brands are folded, and grooves are cut into them at both ends for hinges. The edges of the recesses are beveled at 45°. The third tee is cut in the same way, only the depth of the recess is made a little larger - this will be the clamping bar, so it should move freely.
Cutting notches for hinges
Boil the loops well
Weld pieces of reinforcement to the bolt head
Homemade sheet bender in progress
This option is very powerful - you can bend long workpieces and sheets of considerable thickness. Such scales are not always in demand, but they can always be reduced. The video suggests a similar design of a smaller size, but with a different fastening of the clamping bar. By the way, no one bothers you to also install a spring on the screw - it will be easier to raise the bar. What’s interesting about this design is that you can make beading on it, something that such devices usually cannot do.
From a corner with a different type of clamping bar
This model is welded from a thick-walled angle, the frame is made like an ordinary construction sawhorse, which is welded from the same angle. The handle is from a luggage trolley. The design of the screws is interesting - they are long, the handle is curved in the shape of the letter “L”. Convenient to unscrew/screw.
Small manual sheet bender for DIY production
This homemade sheet metal bending machine has many features:
- The corners are not arranged with shelves facing each other, but are directed in one direction. Because of this, attaching the loop is not the most convenient, but it can be done.
Now let's move on to the design of the clamping bar (pictured above). It is also made from a corner, but is laid on the machine with an upward bend. To ensure that the bar does not bend during operation, reinforcement is welded on - metal jumpers. Small metal platforms are welded at both ends of the strip, in which holes are drilled for bolts.
Another important point is that the edge that faces the bend is cut off to obtain a sharper bend angle.
The bar is set like this
The clamping bar is placed on the machine, and a spring is placed in the place where the nut is installed. The handle is installed in place. If it does not press the bar, it is raised above the surface due to the elastic force of the spring. In this position, the workpiece is tucked under it, positioned, and pressed.
Place a spring under the hole, then a bolt
A good option for home use. It will not be possible to bend thick metal, but tin and galvanized steel can be bent without difficulty.
Features of production, properties of aluminum pipes
Aluminum pipe profiles are divided into three groups according to production method:
- cold-worked;
- pressed;
- welded
Rolled aluminum pipes are produced in different ways
The first position is aluminum pipes with a diameter of 6-150 mm. They are for general industrial purposes and are produced according to GOST under the number 18475-87.
The essence of the technology is that an aluminum blank is taken and a through hole is drilled along the axis. Then the workpiece is rolled between rollers, forming a cross-section of the finished product.
The second position is aluminum pipes with a diameter of 6-220 mm, manufactured according to GOST 18482-79. The technology is based on the method of pressing a heated workpiece on a special mill. The workpiece is placed on the matrix and pressed until the required shape is formed. Next, the semi-finished product is rolled on a mill through rollers.
The third position is aluminum pipes, made either from sheets or from tape, also known as strips, by twisting and welding along the seam on the inside and outside. The final step is necessarily hot tempering of the finished product. The reason is the relief of internal stresses in the welding areas.
Aluminum pipes can be divided into two further categories based on wall thickness:
- up to 5 mm – thin-walled;
- more than 5 mm – thick-walled.
Thick-walled modifications
During the production process, additional operations are often used that improve technical and operational characteristics. It's all about the metal itself. At temperatures below +20°C, deformation may cause the structure to break. Therefore, either heat treatment is used, for example, annealing or hardening, or mechanical processing - cold hardening, another name is cold hardening.
Both improvement options make it possible to make hard and durable metal out of ductile and soft metal. It is these profiles that are used in different designs.
And yet, high ductility is the main advantage of aluminum pipes. That is, it is not difficult to deform or bend the product, but it does not lose its qualities and properties.
Where are aluminum products used?
The scope of use is wide. Reasons for popularity:
- Aluminum products do not require special maintenance;
- ease of the resulting structures;
- ease of transportation and installation, including if the product needs to be bent.
Main areas of application:
- Agriculture. Drainage and watering systems are constructed from aluminum pipes, and fences for small animals and plants are assembled.
- Oil production. Aluminum pipes are inert to petroleum products and do not change their characteristics under their influence.
- Ventilation systems. Aluminum products are easy to deform, cut and drill; they can simply be bent, which simplifies the process of installing ventilation air ducts and shafts.
- Construction. Frames for gazebos, hangars and canopies are made from aluminum pipes. They make railings, canopies, fences. Today, they are increasingly using curtained facades in the construction.
- Furniture – chairs, armchairs, tables, etc.
- Advertising – billboards, stands, frames for display cases.