Continuing of Bending Methods

Hot bending: In those cases where suitable cold bending equipment is unavailable, hot bending may be employed. For hot bending of ferrous materials the pipe to be bent is usually heated to temperatures in the range of 1750 to 2050°F (954 to 1121°C). For austenitic materials these temperatures may introduce sensitization, and for ferritic materials they will exceed the critical temperature where metallurgical phase changes occur. See the section ‘‘Heat Treatment’’ for a discussion of these subjects.

FIGURE A6.9 Tooling for a draw bend application

The traditional method of hot bending is performed on a bending table. Depending on the diameter-to-thickness ratio, the pipe to be bent may be packed with sand to provide more rigidity and thus reduce the tendency for buckling. A rule of thumb is to sand fill if the diameter-to-thickness ratio is 10 to 1 or greater for 5-diameter bends. However, when the diameter-to-thickness ratio approaches 30 to 1, sand begins to lose its effectiveness, and buckles will appear. As the diameter of the pipe increases, the probability of buckling will increase since the sand fill will not expand in proportion to the pipe, leaving a void between the pipe and packing. It becomes pronounced around NPS 24 (DN 600).
After the pipe has been packed with sand, it is placed in a specially designed bending furnace. The furnace is usually gas fired through ports along its length, placed to direct the flames around the pipe and avoid direct flame impingement. The furnace is controlled by thermocouples or pyrometers to assure that the required bending temperature is attained but not exceeded. Depending on the length of arc to be bent, it may be necessary to make the bend in more than one heat. After the segment to be bent has attained the required temperature throughout its thickness, the pipe is placed on the bending table. One end is restrained by holding pins and the other is pulled around by block and tackle powered by a winch. As bending progresses, the arc is checked against a bending template. Repositioning of the holding pins may be necessary. See Fig. A6.12. For ferritic steels, it is recommended that the bending be completed above the upper critical temperature of the metal, usually about 1600 to 1725°F (870 to 940°C).

FIGURE A6.10 Cold bending ranges

FIGURE A6.11 Operating essentials

There are certain limits as to the combination of diameters, thicknesses, and bending radii which can be accommodated by the hot table bend method. PFI Standard ES-24 contains a chart of suggested limits for bend radius versus diameter to wall thickness ratios.
To fulfill the need for a bending process beyond the capabilities of hot table bending, the M. W. Kellogg Co. developed the increment bending process, which was further refined by Pullman Power Products Corp. In this process, one end of the pipe is fixed in an anchor box while a clamp connected to a hydraulic piston is attached to the other. A gas torch ring burner assembly is positioned at one end of the arc to be bent. The burner assembly is sized to heat a length of arc (increment) about 1 to 2 times the pipe wall thickness. The increment length is selected to be less than the buckling wave length of the pipe. The increment is then heated to bending temperature. Optical pyrometers are used to control the heating to assure that proper temperature is attained but not exceeded. At bending temperature the hydraulic piston pulls the clamped end a fixed amount to bend the heated increment.
The increment is then water cooled, the torch ring moved to the next increment, and the process is repeated. As many as 350 increments may be required for a typical NPS 24 x 3/8-in (DN 600 x 9.5 mm), 90°, 5-diameter bend.
The process can produce bends in sizes from NPS 8 to 48 (DN 200 to 1200) with bending radii of 3 pipe diameters and larger in ferrous and nickel-alloy materials. Because the heat is applied from one side only, thicknesses are limited to 2 in (50 mm) and less. In more recent years a more sophisticated piece of bending equipment has entered the pipe-bending field, notably the Induction Bender. In this process the increment to be bent is heated by an induction coil, and the bending operation is continuous. The pipe to be bent is inserted in the machine, and the start of the arc is positioned under the induction coil. The portion of the pipe upstream of the coil is clamped to a rotating arm fixed to the required bend radius. The downstream portion of the pipe is pushed hydraulically through the coil, where it attains bending temperature. Since it is clamped to the rotating arm, a bending moment is imposed on the pipe and it bends as it moves through the coil. As soon as it has been bent, the heated section is cooled to restore its prior rigidity. The permissible rate of cooling is a function of material composition. Low-carbon steels and some low Cr molys may be water quenched. It is recommended that the 9Cr-1Mo-V material be cooled in still air.
The Induction Bender is manufactured in several sizes depending on the expected combinations of pipe size and bending radius. These range from NPS 31⁄₂ to 64 (DN 80 to 1600) and from 8 to 400 in (DN 200 to 10,000 mm) in radius. Since induction is used as the heating method, wall thicknesses as heavy as 4 in (100 mm) can be bent.