What are the types of pipe bending machines?

Classification by Power Type

• Hydraulic Pipe Bending Machine: It outputs high-pressure oil from an electric oil pump and sends the high-pressure oil into the working cylinder. The thrust generated by the plunger inside the working cylinder drives the pipe bending components to perform the pipe bending operation. It has the advantages of a compact structure and high output force, and is capable of bending pipes with larger diameters and thicker pipe walls. It is suitable for pipe processing in various industrial fields, such as pipeline laying and construction in power construction, highway and railway construction, bridges, ships, etc.

• Electric Pipe Bending Machine: Using an electric motor as the power source, it converts the rotary motion of the motor into the circular motion of the pipe bending components through mechanical transmission devices such as transmissions and gear chains, thereby driving the pipe to bend around the mold. It has relatively high control precision and production efficiency, and is suitable for processing pipe fittings that require high pipe bending precision and are produced in large batches. It is often used in industries such as furniture manufacturing and decoration.

• Pneumatic Pipe Bending Machine: It uses compressed air as the power to drive the movement of the piston in the cylinder, thereby driving the pipe bending mechanism to complete the pipe bending action. The pneumatic pipe bending machine has the characteristics of rapid action, low cost, and simple maintenance. It is suitable for processing pipe fittings with relatively low pressure requirements and small diameters, and is widely used in some small processing workshops and laboratories.

• Manual Pipe Bending Machine: It mainly relies on manual operation to achieve the bending of pipes. By manually rotating the handle or pressing the lever, the bending mold is driven to apply pressure to the pipe, making it gradually bend and deform. The manual pipe bending machine has a simple structure, convenient operation, and low cost, but it has high labor intensity and low production efficiency. It is generally suitable for small-batch and temporary simple pipe bending operations, such as home decoration and small-scale repair.

Classification by Control Method

• CNC Pipe Bending Machine: Based on the hydraulic pipe bending machine or the electric pipe bending machine, a CNC system is added. Operators input pre-programmed programs to set parameters such as the bending angle, radius, and length of the pipe, and the CNC system precisely controls each action of the pipe bending machine according to these instructions, thereby realizing high-precision and high-efficiency pipe bending processing. The CNC pipe bending machine can adapt to the processing of pipe fittings of various shapes and specifications, and is widely used in fields such as aerospace, automobile manufacturing, and precision machinery that have high requirements for pipe bending precision and quality.

• Semi-Automatic Pipe Bending Machine: This type of pipe bending machine usually has some automated functions, such as automatic clamping of pipes and automatic feeding. However, parameters such as the bending angle still need to be manually adjusted and controlled. It combines certain automated operations with the flexibility of manual operations, and is suitable for processing pipe fittings in occasions where there is a certain requirement for production efficiency but the product specifications are relatively fixed.

• Fully Automatic Pipe Bending Machine: It can realize the fully automated operation of a series of actions from pipe loading, clamping, feeding, bending to unloading without much human intervention. Only relevant parameters need to be set on the equipment. The fully automatic pipe bending machine has the advantages of high production efficiency and stable product quality, and is suitable for large-scale and high-efficiency production of pipe fittings. However, the equipment cost is relatively high, and it is often used in industries such as automobile parts manufacturing and air conditioning pipeline production.

Classification by Working Principle

• Mechanical Transmission Pipe Bending Machine: Through mechanical transmission devices such as gears, racks, worm gears and worms, it converts the rotary motion of the motor into the circular motion of the pipe bending arm, thereby driving the pipe to bend. This type of pipe bending machine has a simple structure and low cost, but its transmission precision and control flexibility are limited. It is suitable for processing pipe fittings that require relatively low pipe bending precision, have small diameters, and have relatively simple shapes.

• Die Pressing Pipe Bending Machine: The pipe is placed in a mold, and pressure is applied to the pipe by a press or other pressure-applying device, causing the pipe to undergo plastic deformation under the constraint of the mold, thereby achieving the purpose of bending. The die pressing pipe bending machine can manufacture pipe fittings with relatively complex shapes and high precision, but the mold cost is high, and the production efficiency is relatively low. It is often used in the manufacturing of pipe fittings in fields such as aerospace and precision instruments.

• Stretch Bending Pipe Bending Machine: One end of the pipe is fixed on the mold, and a tensile force is applied to the pipe by a stretching device, causing the pipe to gradually bend along the contour of the mold. The stretch bending pipe bending machine is suitable for bending pipes with larger bending radii and thinner pipe walls, such as aluminum pipes and stainless steel pipes. It can effectively avoid defects such as cracking and wrinkling of the pipe during the bending process, and is often used in the processing of pipe fittings in fields such as aerospace and automobile manufacturing.