If your company handles piping or tubing, it requires special tools to ensure the metal is bent according to specifications. Metal tubing, in particular, requires fabricators pay close attention to detail. Formation of the tubes into the right shape requires tube benders. Tooling your machines or purchasing new bender technology requires consideration of certain factors.
Metal Tubing
Manufacturers produce metal tubing from roll forming or extruding a strip of sheet metal. For tube-bending, however, the most common production method is roll forming. All methods produce a hollow form. Fabricators than proceed to further shape the hollow tube through such things as beading or swaging. However, the most common method is bending. This requires specific equipment.
Tube Benders Tooling
When tooling or retooling for this procedure, you need to address certain issues. Your company needs to make sure it has satisfied the needs and requirements of all invested parties. You have to ask certain questions and obtain concrete and reliable answers. Consider the following:
- Does the staff understand the company’s reasons for the changes?
- Will employees, supervisors and customers alike, accept this technology without difficulty?
- Is the equipment similar to existing machinery?
- If it is substantially different, will there be a learning curve? If so, how steep will it be?
- Is this the right equipment to advance the company’s projected market percentage?
- Is the tube bending machine cost-effective, energy efficient and easy to work with?
- Will there be any maintenance issues? e.g. difficulty in stocking or finding replacement parts
- Does the manufacturer of the machinery offer a guarantee and provide excellent post-sale customer service?
Make sure you have the answers to these and other related questions before you go ahead with the purchase.
Tube Benders Tooling
When considering replacing older machinery or upgrading to new equipment, it is important to consider always all involved parties. Talk to your employees about your intent for tube benders tooling. This will help you make an informed decision.
