There are many reasons for a company to invest in a pipe- bending machine for their workshop. The process itself is much faster and cheaper than welding, and there are additional savings on NDT / OC. This results in a more efficient fabrication process and lower production costs, which allows the initial investment for the machine in a relatively quick period of time. However, in order to maximize the efficiency of a pipe-bending machine, it is helpful to have the right software to assist the operator. With the RONIKolli7 bending simulation software by 3R solutions it is not only possible to visualize the bending process, but to detect potential interference or collision ahead of time. Using 3D models of the machine, the tooling, and possible hazards in the machine‘s environment (walls, support columns, tool cabinets, fences), the software checks if a specific bending sequence would result in a collision of the pipe with any obstacle.
If such a collision is detected, RONIKolli7 will run through a number of alternative sequences, in order to find a bending process that can be performed on the machine. Depending on the complexity of the machine, these alternatives can be a simple reversal of a pipe‘s rotation, a reversal of the bending order (ie. last point first), or a correction feed, where the pipe is moved forward, rotated, and then retracted. More complex left-right bending or multi-level machines offer additional options of course.
Another important factor besides collisions is consideration of material properties. While bending is a plastic deformation of the pipe, meaning that it is permanent and the pipe does not return to its original shape, it does retain a certain amount of elasticity, which requires a certain amount of overbending to compensate for springback. Therefore in order to achieve the target angle the machine has to bend a slightly larger angle instead.
This overbending in turn lead to a slight increase in the bend radius, as the bend becomes longer. To compensate for this, the straight lengths before and after the bend have to be shortened accordingly, in order to achieve a precise result. This elasticity is not only different from material to material, but is also dependent on the pipe dimensions themselves (diameter, wall thickness), and can even vary between batches of the same material purchased from different suppliers or at different dates.
RONIKolli7 allows the operator to create a record of all materials and dimensions processed, and to enter the results of test bends. Based on these data the software can calculate both the adjusted bending angle and the new cutting length (as there is also a certain amount of stretching that needs to be taken into consideration). Once a bending sequence has been determined, and the material factors have been compensated for, RONIKolli7 can provide the necessary CNC data. In many cases it is possible to provide these data in a file format readable by the machine, so the operator only has to confirm the data on his screen, rather than entering them himself.
By adding RONIKolli7 to the pipe-bending process it is possible to significant!y increase the efficiency of your bending machine by:
• Reducing the danger of collisions
• Confirming that a pipe is bendable without the need to create a wire model
• Compensating for material factors
• Providing CNC-data for ihe bending process
• Preparing freely customizable work sheet / reports for the operator
• Comparing the cycle time of a pipe bending process on multiple machines
• Simulating a bending process for flanged pipes and calculation of flange rotation
• Calculation of potentially reguired extensions
Written by Mr. Carsten Tripscha
(Published in Tube Today 2017)
