Introduction
The capacity to be bent into shape is one of the most effective aspects about
plumbing with copper. Fittings and joints need PVC or steel pipes to shape even the
slightest deviation from a straight line. Copper may, reasonably, be bent through a
wall, basement or crawlspace to follow the trail of effort. In a plumbing project,
minimizing the quantity of fittings and joints saves time and money.
Manual pipe benders are frequently used by experienced plumbers. As
pressure is applied to a roller that forces the pipe into shape, the pipe is positioned in
a grooved radius with walls to prevent the pipe from deforming. It is important to
match the dies and rollers to the pipe size. You should have the correct set for each
diameter if you are using several different sizes of tubing for a job. Bends on most
tube sizes can be achieved quickly and easily once the tool is set up.
External springs for bending are a little more flexible. By twisting the spring
clockwise or counterclockwise to create a tight fit, they can be sized for the tubing. If
needed, slide the spring over the area to be bent and tighten the spring by twisting it.
Bend to the ideal radius of the tubing. The compression that the spring provides will
prevent the tube from kinking. These work well for small enough tubes to be bent by
hand.
Objectives
1. Describe the bending process and what methods are used for cooper pipe.
2. List the types of bending equipment in common use in the pipefitting trade
and their application.
Equipment
NO EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS DESCRIPTION
.
1. Pipe bender Suitable for bending 12 to 22 mm
pipes and tubes with ease
Supplied with pressure die for 15 and
22 mm copper tubing.
2. L-square Makes a great bending guide
3. Measuring tape Measure and set the distance before
bending the copper pipe.
Procedures
1. Label the copper pipe where you want to make a bend. For drawing one or
more lines across the top of the tube, use a felt-tip pen. To ensure that the
placement and spacing of each bend is as precise as possible, take a ruler or
a measuring tape if necessary.
Figure
2. Slide the copper tube into the pipe bender. Place one end of a tube into the
open slot between the handles. Ensure that the pipe is well aligned with the
groove in the rounded bender die. Feed the tube into the bender until the line
above the die remains labelled.
Figure
3. Get a copper pipe scrap bit. Slide the copper pipe into the mark and where it
reaches the middle. Use the square package to guarantee that the middle of
the copper pipe is bent.
Figure
Figure
4. Stand up and pull the pipe bender a little bit so that it doesn't move. Push the
pipe so that the collar bends so that the stretch travels away from the
measurement. To verify if the bend is where it is, use the set square.
Figure
Figure
5. Take the bent copper pipe out and use a fixed square to stand up the copper
pipe correctly at 90 degrees. In addition, the bent copper pipe can be tested
by measuring 150 mm from the end of the pipe to the mark in the middle.
Figure
Figure
Result
Due to its exceptional formability, copper can be formed at the worksite as
desired. The correctly bent copper tube should not collapse on the outside of the
bend and will not buckle on the inside of the bend. Tests demonstrate that the
bursting power of a bent copper tube can be greater than it was prior to bending.
Since copper is easily formed, expansion loops and other bends used in an
assembly are quickly and efficiently created if the correct technique and equipment
are used. Using simple hand tools that use mandrel dies, forms and fillers, or power-
operated bending equipment is practicable.
The annealed tube and the hard drawn tube can both be bent with the necessary
hand benders. The required size of a bender must be used for tube sizes. In Figure
7, the usual bending radii are shown.
Figure
Discussion and conclusion
It is important to bend the copper plumbing pipe correctly in two ways. Either
a tool called a bending spring is employed or a proprietary pipe bender for
plumbers is employed. The copper pipe can kink with none of those methods. The
width of a pipe is diminished by kinks within the piping of some kind and if the
diameter is reduced, the flow is reduced and therefore the whole system becomes
less functional furthermore as more vulnerable to blockage.
In conclusion, bending pipes with a pipe bender are difficult. it's not difficult to
bend the pipe, but bending the pipe within the right place. understanding the
diameter of the bend and linking it to the place within the run where you would
like the bend to begin and finish can only be finished practice and further pipe to
practice with.
Safety
It'll quickly bend copper tubing. Most copper tubing with a diameter of less
than one inch is marketed in coils that must be straightened prior to use.
Unfortunately, when not treated properly, copper tubing will also kink. A tube by
kinking can limit the flow within the pipe and decrease its usable power. Two widely
used instruments and one less popular method are mentioned below to decrease the
risk of injuring your pipe when bending it into shape.
Improvement
Pack the pipe tightly with clean fine-grain sand if you need a fast repair and
don't have a tubing bender or a compression spring on hand. Bend into the desired
form of the conduit. Empty the sand out of the tube and thoroughly clean it. The sand
has adequate fluid property to be flexible under pressure while not being sufficiently
compressible to permit kinking. This technique works best for short tubing.
References
1. Easy Way to Bend Copper Tubing. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2020, from
[Link]
2. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2020, from
[Link]
