Preferred Tube Bending Guidelines
The following would be considered standard manufacturing criteria for contract manufacturing tube bending projects.
- Standard metal tubing size range from 1/8″ O.D. to 1.00″ O.D. (Tube sizes only, pipe sizes excluded.)
- Keep bend CLR (Center-Line Radius) to less than 6”. (Regardless of tube of O.D.)
- Distance between bend centers kept to no less than 1.5 x the tube O.D.
- Our tooling bend radius is measured to the centerline of the tube.
- Avoid greater than 180 degree bends.
- Avoid crossing of tubing.
- Keep bend CLR the same throughout assembly.
- Keep bend CLR to no less than 2 times tube O.D.
- Tolerances between bend centers kept to +/-.030″. Large parts will be measured in a constrained condition.
- CNC formed tubing assembly developed lengths up to 8 feet in most cases.
- Coiling developed lengths up to 50 feet (in soft copper tubing), 15 feet in other metals.
- Coil diameter minimum is best kept to 10 times tubing diameter. (Minimize tube flattening and keeps tooling simple.)
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