The basic elements of bending steel tubing

We are specialists in the field of ERW tubes, providing high quality goods to clients that can use them for a variety of things. There are more than 200 different sizes available in our collection. In addition, we offer a choice of finishes like pre-galvanised. If that wasn’t enough, our cutting service can cater for length requirements to suit any project. We have gone to huge lengths so we cover all the bases.

Stainless steel is one of the manufacturing industry’s most popular substances. As such, bending tubes made of it is a regular forming process for creating components for all kinds of jobs. However, a thorough understanding of the tube bending is necessary to get the right results. There could be a number of challenges and factors to think about.

Prototyping

ERW tubesFirstly, utilising stainless steel ERW tubes for custom prototyping can be troublesome. It is a hard substance. However, it is also malleable and ductile. You can form it into various shapes using all sorts of machining processes as long as you consider the characteristics. One thing you can do is bend the tubes into multiple shapes, but the job will demand a lot of direct pressure from specialist tooling.

When the subject of bending high calibre stainless steel substances comes up, attention focuses on the challenges. The difficulty typically depends on the tube’s thickness. Thick-wall tubing normally requires more force to bend.

In addition, certain shapes and sizes of ERW tubes might demand specific bending equipment. You must use the right tools here or you can damage the tubing.

Something else that poses a threat here is the likelihood of spring back happening. You must plan for it to ensure you can compensate and get an accurate bend.

Welded and seamless tubes

Another detail you need to think about here is comparing welded tubes to seamless ones. Both are suitable for bending. Saying this, seamless ones tend to bend better if your radius is tight. On the other side, welded tubing’s thinner walls make them more suitable for bigger diameter applications.

You must keep in mind that the seam of welded models could interfere with the bend’s consistency. This is because of the stress concentration point which forms on your tube. That means the tube’s have 20% less working pressure if you compare to seamless tubes.

Additionally, you can’t overlook the likelihood of incorrect weld forming. This can cause the tube to not be perfectly round, and it prevents the sufficient bending.

We’ll satisfy your needs for ERW tubes

At Union Steel Tubes, we work hard to supply tubes that will work for the applications of our clients. We have square, rectangular, oval, and round tubes to help accomplish this. In addition, we test every tube to ensure they have the right characteristics.

So, if you need first class ERW tubes, make sure you give us a call. We can deliver orders quickly in most circumstances.