9 Terms Used by the Pipe Bending Industry

Pipe bending provides essential materials for building construction, oil and gas lines and manufacturing. If your business requires custom pipe bending for a project, knowing the terminology will help you effectively communicate your needs. Here are 10 standard pipe-bending terms.

1. 1.5D bends are bends 1.5 times the diameter of the nominal pipe. So, a 1.5D bend is a sharp, 90-degree pipe bend with a radius of only 1.5 times the pipe’s diameter, also know as a long radius elbow.

2. 3D bends are more gradual than 1.5D bends because the bend radius is three times the nominal pipe diameter. It’s still a 90-degree bend but has a longer arc length. A 3D bend is one of the two most common specified bends in the industry, the other being 5D.

3. Rolled pipe is a pipe bent into a long, smooth arc on the same plane. A rolled pipe is helpful to go around circular objects. It can also be used structurally for arches over windows and doors or roof trusses. Industry also uses this method of bending for producing what they refer to as sweeps for conveying product that it is light enough to be moved pneumatically (blown with air) such as wood chips, grains and other light weight materials.

4. Helical coils are an excellent option for heat exchangers used in refrigeration, plumbing and distillation industries. The pipe is bent into a vertical spiral like a spring. Coiling a pipe maximizes the pipe’s surface area in a limited amount of space.

5. Serpentine coils are S-shaped coils. They’re popular with refrigeration and air conditioning manufacturers. Like helical coils, serpentine coils are effective heat exchangers and are used where minimal space is available.

6. Tube bundles are a series of U-shaped tubes bundled together with open ends at one side. These are used as heat exchangers.

7. Roll bending is a process where a pipe is bent between three rollers placed in a triangular shape. The roller on one side pushes the pipe against two rollers on the other, or vice versa.

8. Draw Bending, which may also be known as mandrel bending or rotary bending, is where a pipe or tube is bent around a given size die, slightly smaller than the diameter you are trying to achieve to allow for spring back. This method is used for tight radii, light wall bending where a solid or segmented mandrel (shaft) is incorporated to prevent ovality or collapse by providing internal support.

9. Hot bending, also referred to as Induction bending uses electric induction coils wrapped around the circumference of large diameter pipes. Heating the pipes makes them easier to bend and by accurately controlling the heating and cooling cycles you can maintain the structural integrity steel you are bending

Pipe bending in B.C., Alberta, Oregon and Washington

At Advantec Global, we deliver high-quality custom pipes and tubes (tube bends) for just about any project in any industry. Contact us today to speak with one of our experts about how we can help you.