"Rich Grise" wrote in message
...
Tom Gardner wrote:

I have an application that I will need to put a 30deg. and 75deg.
bends on
the same
plane on a 30" length of 1/2" EMT. This will be a production part.
Is
there a
machine to do this? Has anybody seen internal or external plastic
caps
for conduit? This will be a handle for a cleaning tool.

I could do it on a punch press but that sounds just plain
frightening.
Or, are there off-shelf dies I could use on my 50-ton hydraulic
press?
(seems like overkill and it's slow)

If it's for production, it might be worthwhile to farm it out. Or
you
could get a conduit bender at your local Builder's Euphorium and do
them by hand, but that sounds like a money-loser.

I've seen professional tube bending machines, and they were pretty
awesome; they could make those bends in a matter of seconds, once
it's set up.

Good Luck!
Rich


I've been researching all night and have had a series of epiphanies.
I figure about 4k pieces/mo and with a bit of futzing in the shop I
think I can do the whole thing in-house...cheap! Made in the USA
baby, by American union people! The friggin' Chinks can kiss my hairy
ass!

Tom Gardner wrote:
I've been researching all night and have had a series of epiphanies.
I figure about 4k pieces/mo and with a bit of futzing in the shop I
think I can do the whole thing in-house...cheap! ...

Attaboy! I knew you couldn't resist the chance to build a machine to do
it. I know I couldn't.

Lessee ... the cut-to-length piece is placed/dropped* on the bender. A
hydraulic clamp grabs it between the 2 bend points. Hydraulic cylinders
push rollers or shoes to bend the pipe against dies. The piece is
unclamped and lifted/popped* out. Maybe 5 second cycle.

The rollers/shoes are on arms the same radii as the bends/dies so the
hydraulic pusher doesn't have to worry about the motion path.

'Course there's a gazillion details to work out, but that's the fun of
it. Hey, can I come work for you building this?

Bob

* - it seems like straight, 30" pieces of 1/2" conduit could be
automatically fed from a hopper. And the bent piece popped out into a
basket. Totally automated.

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
Tom Gardner wrote:
I've been researching all night and have had a series of epiphanies. I
figure about 4k pieces/mo and with a bit of futzing in the shop I
think I can do the whole thing in-house...cheap! ...

Attaboy! I knew you couldn't resist the chance to build a machine to do
it. I know I couldn't.

Lessee ... the cut-to-length piece is placed/dropped* on the bender. A
hydraulic clamp grabs it between the 2 bend points. Hydraulic cylinders
push rollers or shoes to bend the pipe against dies. The piece is
unclamped and lifted/popped* out. Maybe 5 second cycle.

The rollers/shoes are on arms the same radii as the bends/dies so the
hydraulic pusher doesn't have to worry about the motion path.

'Course there's a gazillion details to work out, but that's the fun of
it. Hey, can I come work for you building this?

Bob

* - it seems like straight, 30" pieces of 1/2" conduit could be
automatically fed from a hopper. And the bent piece popped out into a
basket. Totally automated.

Or you could find a way to use a couple Imperial 600-F:
http://stridetool.com/tools/hose_tub...enders_08.html

(Thassa nice tool)

--Winston

Winston wrote:
Or you could find a way to use a couple Imperial 600-F:
http://stridetool.com/tools/hose_tub...enders_08.html
....

Yeah, and on sale here for only $1700:
http://www.csnstores.com/Imperial-St...F-OHP1131.html

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
Winston wrote:
Or you could find a way to use a couple Imperial 600-F:
http://stridetool.com/tools/hose_tub...enders_08.html
...

Yeah, and on sale here for only $1700:
http://www.csnstores.com/Imperial-St...F-OHP1131.html

At 4K pieces per month, that $1700 is chump change.

Automated properly, one could bang out those handles
quickly and with excellent quality using minimum -
wage help.

Drop in one end against the first stop, push buttons
and the workpiece gets the 75 degree bend. The stop
and bender reset and the workpiece falls into a bin.
Twist a knob and cycle the bin full of parts against
the second stop. The 30 degree bend is made and the
workpiece is retrieved out the top of the alignment
fences. Worker loads the next workpiece and bangs
the buttons to complete the bin of parts, etc etc.


--Winston