Manual tube bender and spring back

Published:  03 January, 2017

This article is based on guidance provided in the British Fluid Power Association’s training course titled ‘Small Bore Tubing Integrity Course – using twin ferrule compression fittings’. Following on from our look at tube preparation in our November edition, this month, we look at tube bending principles.

Manual tube bender and spring back

One of the advantages of using tubing instead of pipe is that tubing can be bent to any angle for installation purposes, reducing the need for additional fittings.

Main parts of a tube bender

Spring back

There is a rule of thumb that needs to be considered when producing bends on tubing, which is that it will spring back. For example, stainless steel spring back is approximately 3 degrees for every 90 degrees of bend produced.

Therefore, it is good practice to test a piece of the tubing to establish how much spring back occurs.

It is always better to under-bend a tube slightly, as this will allow for additional bending if required to achieve the correct angle.

Remember, tube benders are not designed for unbending tube.

More information

The above information has been edited from course booklet for the British Fluid Power Association’s new training course titled ‘Small Bore Tubing Integrity Course – using twin ferrule compression fittings’. For more information about the new course and how you or your staff can enrol, please contact the Association at: info@bfpatrainingacademy.co.uk. For general enquiries, please contact: enquiries@bfpa.co.uk, or Tel: 01608 647900.

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