Aluminum Tubing Issues
Aluminum Tubing Issues
(OP)
Hey Guys New Here, Trying to bend Some Tube and there is a constant failure rate happening.
Machine : BLM_Elect80
Tooling: Bend Die 3"CLR
Material :
AL - 6061 T1 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
AL - 6063 T52 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
AL - 5052 T0 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
With the 6061 It was first Ordered as T6, this was to Brittle to Bend, So It snapped on first bend. Then brought down to a T1. This Process Caused the tube to Oval. Wouldn't fit on the Mandrel and thus also Caused it to Snap.
With the 6063 T52 It showed up Oval and Had Varying Wall thickness. This material was set aside , Some of it was Oval Enough to Try and out of 10 bends only two worked.
With the 5052-0 It Appears it's as well To soft or To Brittle.
It snapped on first bend as well.
Can anyone lend any Ideas to how I may fix these issues?
I have already Changed the Pressures from the bender etc...
We are Leaning towards using the 6063 T52.
Wondering If a Heating Process Before Bending is suggested or anything else?
Thank you in Advance!!!
Machine : BLM_Elect80
Tooling: Bend Die 3"CLR
Material :
AL - 6061 T1 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
AL - 6063 T52 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
AL - 5052 T0 OD 2" &1/2" // ID 2.37" // WT .065 Seamless Round
With the 6061 It was first Ordered as T6, this was to Brittle to Bend, So It snapped on first bend. Then brought down to a T1. This Process Caused the tube to Oval. Wouldn't fit on the Mandrel and thus also Caused it to Snap.
With the 6063 T52 It showed up Oval and Had Varying Wall thickness. This material was set aside , Some of it was Oval Enough to Try and out of 10 bends only two worked.
With the 5052-0 It Appears it's as well To soft or To Brittle.
It snapped on first bend as well.
Can anyone lend any Ideas to how I may fix these issues?
I have already Changed the Pressures from the bender etc...
We are Leaning towards using the 6063 T52.
Wondering If a Heating Process Before Bending is suggested or anything else?
Thank you in Advance!!!





RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
Materials is for posts that don't fit anywhere else like choice between materials.
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
Click the Inappropriate post? button and make a new post in the Materials Forum yourself.
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
Anyone have any Ideas?
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
On as sharp a bend as that, you may have to have a couple of goes at it. You could also try loading the tube with Cerrobend.
B.E.
The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
With the AL try 5052 H34
Look at
http://www.woolfaircraft.com/methods.html
http://www.hossfeldbender.com/video-tutorials/
consider sand packing or heating?
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
I'm working with some companies to get a hold of some 3003 H14, and some 6063 T52 .071
One of them is actually bending up some of our crazy bends so they can suggest a Grade of Aluminum.
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
I am presuming you have already played with the mandril withdrawal speeds and distances.
If you can generate an oval tube. have you looked at getting a finished part by using a string of balls on a cable?
B.E.
The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
Today after we bend up some Stainless we are going to mess with the Position of the Mandrel and see what else we can play with. Were going to attempt to heat up the bending sections as well before bending and see how that goes.
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Aluminum Tubing Issues