Thin walled aluminum tube bending
Thin walled aluminum tube bending
(OP)
Please look at the attached drawing and tell me if and how to get a tube to bend as shown? It has to be able to be a production run. It will be used as mechanical tube not pressure.
Thank you,
Steve
Thank you,
Steve





RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
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RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
google specialised tube bend manuf.
as noted ablove, are crushed sides a problem ?
you may need to form in O-condition material, and HT as req'd later.
you may need "non-traditional" tube ending. ie, instead of using a regualr tube bending machine, you might form a wide circular bend and then flatten it to make the sides and the end.
i hope two decimal places on the angles is just a cad thing (and not a requirement) ... i doubt they're achievable.
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
We are leaving the wall size of this tube open in case you tell us that it can be done at a certain size but not another. Here is some background that should help you understand the forces it will be subject to.
1. This is going to be a component of a mass produced consumer device. It is very important that it be as light weight and inexpensive as possible.
2. This is to serve as a frame & stand component of a consumer device we are designing for manufacture.
3. The upper section (squared head) will support an enclosure weighing approximately 1.0 lbs. The lower section of the frame/stand will attach to a rectangle shaped base 3" wide x 12" long x 3 inches high, and weighted with 2 lbs. The frame, as drawn, will attach to one end of the base. Picture a capital letter L.
4. It is not intended to be a handle per say. Its intended function is to support the 1 pound of weight at the top. However, we know that the end user will pick it up by the top and carry it around occasionally, when relocating it. The base, when being moved, will subject the frame to additional stress and torque. Therefore, it must support the base as it is being transported without twisting or buckling.
In your opinion and experience, is it possible to form this shape in a tube that also tries to meet the conditions described above? If yes, we will secure an mechanical engineer and develop more specifics.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer our question.
Steve Chayer
Chayer Design
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
why metal tube (my assumption) ? why not injection moulded plastic ?? a how different forming process, a how different formability, producability, ...
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
The forming process will have to lend itself to mass production to keep costs in line. We are looking at multiple processes including hydro forming which appears to be very slow.
Steve
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
Steve
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
Regards,
Cockroach
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
TTFN

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RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
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RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
Production is key. It has to be mass produced to keep cost as low as possible.
Steve
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
RE: Thin walled aluminum tube bending
the small radius and the overall shape look to me to be hard to bend in a traditional machine, but ask a specialist.
it seemed to me that a non-traditional approach might get what you're looking for ... bend the tube in a large semi-circle, and then with some sort of press flatten the semi-circle into the three flat side of the end.