How to Bend a Pipe with Mandrel Pipe Bender

Mandrels are the commonly used tooling when you need to bend a pipe and we always say, never ignore the importance of a mandrel for bending machine. If you can set up the tooling correctly, it will prevent many issues and problems caused by a bending machine without mandrels. But, if you do not set the mandrel correctly when bending, it will also cause several problems. So, let’s see how to bend a pipe with a mandrel pipe bender

Why mandrel is needed for pipe bending?

The main purpose for using the mandrel is because of the support for the pipe, the mandrel offers support through the whole bending process and holds the pipe firmly against the pipe bending die.

Using a mandrel can prevent the pipe spring back. Spring back means the tendency of metal material that goes back to its original shape. This is a serious problem while you bending a pipe and using a mandrel is the easiest and cheapest way to prevent this problem.

How to use a mandrel pipe bender to bend a pipe?

First, like any type of bending machine, you need to set the tooling correctly. If you proceed with the improper tooling setting, then pipe collapse, pipe buckle, pipe kink, pipe wrinkle will occur during bending. Also, if you found the above problems after bending, you should check your toolset.

Now, your pipe is ready for bending, the pipe will be pulled over the mandrel and held in a fixed position. This position is very very important.

For example, if the mandrel is placed too far back in the pipe and there is not enough pressure on the inside of the bend to compress the material, the inside radius of the bend will appear ripple or a wave after you proceed the bend around 20 degrees. After bending and remove the pipe from the mandrel, you will find a large buckle at the inside radius of the bend.

Also, put the mandrel too far forward can cause other serious problems, like a bump at the end of the bend.

So, the correct tooling setup is so important to determine if your pipe bends can be perfectly achieved. If you are going to making the tight bends or bend the thin wall tubing, this problem will get worse.

Contact us for any questions or comments you may have, our engineer is here to listen to your ideas and ready to make your tube bending ideas come true.