TPT September 2015

Bending machinery & tools

Photo: Inductaflex (see story on page 79)

The inclusion of hydroforming in the bending category recognises that this process widely considered to be “unconventional” is nothing of the kind – especially since almost every metal capable of being cold formed can be successfully hydroformed. Because it involves hydraulic fluid under pressure, the method – valued especially for its tooling economies and specific modulus – is subject to multiple evaluation and verification measures.

But this level of care is standard operating procedure in a state-of-the-art tube mill, where bending machinery and tools – and everything else – are monitored throughout the production process. What informs this level of care is the conviction that quality can be assured only when it is comprehensive. It is shared by the like-minded professionals in companies like those reviewed in this section of Tube & Pipe Technology.