Bending Flat Stainless

twabscs · Jun 18, 2012

Hi All,

I know, my first post, but I've been lurking for a long time. Learning to do machine work a little at a time as I "purchased" an existing shop as part of a farm recently (IOW, it came with the farm). Anyway, we do mostly machine screw work but lots of other odds and ends.

My question regards bending stainless. We have a Baileigh Industrial "pipe" bender with the universal plate. However, bending 3/16" stainless bar really stresses it and it is bent up pretty bad. For just a hundred or so pieces, what is the best way to create the part shown in the print.

The bend is the tricky part.

Thanks,

Tom

DMF_TomB · Jun 18, 2012

twabscs said:
Hi All,

I know, my first post, but I've been lurking for a long time. Learning to do machine work a little at a time as I "purchased" an existing shop as part of a farm recently (IOW, it came with the farm). Anyway, we do mostly machine screw work but lots of other odds and ends.

My question regards bending stainless. We have a Baileigh Industrial "pipe" bender with the universal plate. However, bending 3/16" stainless bar really stresses it and it is bent up pretty bad. For just a hundred or so pieces, what is the best way to create the part shown in the print.

The bend is the tricky part.

Thanks,

Tom

you can create a spring loaded die to use with a hydraulic press preferable with an electric pump. insert straight piece and press and release press and both bends are done at once. the die may need to bend angles a little extra as most metal springs back some amount

you should be aware that stainless bends better if annealed first. often stainless is still work hardened from the rolling process. work hardened stainless is not only harder to bend but can crack easier when doing 90 degree bends.

twabscs · Jun 18, 2012

Thanks, I figured some sort of press would make quick work of these parts. Making the die sounds like the integral part to making this work. Again, I'm new to bending is there a standard way to design / create the die for the press. I'll study up on the annealing process.

Hmmm, I think this part is outside the forte of the equipment in the shop, and that's why there were always having issues getting it made correctly.

toolmaker35 · Jun 18, 2012

With only 100 pieces, I'm assuming you're wanting to keep this as cheap & quick as possible? I think I'd consider a bending die milled to the appropriate angle (with allowance for spring back) with radius (maybe even drill & ream for a 3/8" dowel to make the radius easy?), and just clamp it in a big honkin' bench vise or bolt it to a heavy workbench. Use a dowel pin & fence to locate & hold the ss bar through the hole on the end, and a slotted tommy bar to bend it by hand. I'd mill one side of the die for the long end with a 3/8" dowel, and the other for the short side with a 5/16". All that would be needed to make the die would be a heavy-ish bar of any-old-steel and a mill. I hope this makes sense.

kellyblues · Jun 18, 2012

toolmaker35 said:
With only 100 pieces, I'm assuming you're wanting to keep this as cheap & quick as possible? I think I'd consider a bending die milled to the appropriate angle (with allowance for spring back) with radius (maybe even drill & ream for a 3/8" dowel to make the radius easy?), and just clamp it in a big honkin' bench vise or bolt it to a heavy workbench. Use a dowel pin & fence to locate & hold the ss bar through the hole on the end, and a slotted tommy bar to bend it by hand. I'd mill one side of the die for the long end with a 3/8" dowel, and the other for the short side with a 5/16". All that would be needed to make the die would be a heavy-ish bar of any-old-steel and a mill. I hope this makes sense.

Near exactly what I was thinking.

wgnrr1 · Jun 18, 2012

If you have a hundred or more pieces, you may be better off having someone else do it. Press brake is the best way to bend it. Before you cut the pieces, you had better get your math done. You need to figure for bend loss and gains. You can't just add lengths A,B,C together. I don't remember if that info is in Machinerys handbook. Just a few things to think about.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck,
Josh

twabscs · Jun 18, 2012

Thanks Topper, we have the math figured out, but you're right, it's easy to make mistakes there. We've made them using a bender for a couple of years, but it's time to do it right, IMO. Too much variability using a hand bender and now that the bender needs repair it's time to do it right or have someone else do it.

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