MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PRACTICAL TRAINING

REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

RA BS 5.3 INSTRUCTOR VERSION

INFORMATION SHEET

Topic Forming and detachable connections

Instructions and Guidelines During this lesson the trainee will learn how to bend copper tubes with

Contents Bending of soft - drawn copper tubes. Duration Workshop Objectives The trainee will be able to bend tubes with different bending tools into various shapes.

different bending tools. He will be able to name the various types of tube benders and how to use them properly. He will bend copper tubes into various shapes and forms as required and calculates the necessary measures for bending from the hook or the lever side of

Preparation Internal and external spring bender for different tube diameter, Compression and Press bender, hand operated for different tube diameter, Soft drawn copper tubes, Tube cutter, Folding ruler, Flaring tool, Flat steel squares 90, Pocket slide callipers

the bender. He will know the stress points on tube bends and their influence of the flow rates inside a refrigerant circuit. Overhead projector and transparencies or computer and data projector should be used

Work Safety
Remove all sharp burrs on the cut ends of tubes to avoid injury. Replace worn parts of benders if necessary. Handle tools carefully

alternatively. Data projector is recommended.

Teaching Aids Worksheets Overhead transparencies and / or Computer / data projector

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Technical information EXERCISE 05: Copper tube bending Introduction: It takes practice to become good at bending tubing. To bend smaller sizes of soft drawn copper tubes as used in domestic appliances, special bending tools are not required. However, a much better and more satisfactory job is possible using such tools. Tubing should be bent so that it does not place any strain on the fitting after it is installed. Be very careful when bending the tubing to keep it round. Do not allow the tubing to kink, flatten or buckle. The minimum radius for a tubing bend is between 5 and 10 times the diameter of the tubing as shown in figure 1. Outer Tube Diameter (O.D.)

Minimum radius = 5 10 x tube diameter

Figure 1: Minimum safe bending radius for bending tubing Tubes should be bent quite slowly and carefully. It is always recommended to use as large a radius as possible. This will reduce the amount of flattening. It is also easier to bend a large radius. Do not try to make the complete bend in one operation, rather bend the tubing gradually. There is less danger that the sudden stress will break or buckle the tubing. The four common methods of bending tubing currently in use are the draw, compression, press and hand spring bending.

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Draw bending One of the most common methods of bending is called draw bending. It is used for extrusions, solid bars and tubing. Draw bending frequently is preferred because it is the most flexible method permitting the use of a mandrel in making a progressive series of bends. But, it requires a certain clamp length beyond the bend to hold the part and to draw it against the pressure die. For draw bending the work piece is clamped to a rotating die or form. See figures 2 and 2 A. When the form is rotated, the material is drawn against a pressure die and, if necessary, a mandrel is placed inside the work piece to resist wall collapse. Frequently, a wiper die will be used just behind the tangent point of the bend, opposing the pressure die, to avoid wrinkling or buckling of the material in that area. The pressure die exerts considerable pressure against the work piece and form die. It may or may not move with the work piece as the bend is made.

Figure 2

Figure 2 A: Commercial draw bender

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Compression bending If there is little or no clamping area available at the end of the bend or between successive bends, it may be preferable to use the compression bending method. For compression bending, the part is clamped to the stationary form and a wiping shoe or die swings around the form, forcing the material to flow and become wrapped around the bending form as the shoe wipes over the material. See figures 3 and 3 A. Draw bending and compression bending are both accomplished in a rotary type of bending tool. That is a tool on which the work piece is bent in a horizontal plane by means of a rotating arm. The arm is equipped with a clamp die to hold the work piece against the form die for draw bending, or equipped with a wiping shoe for wrapping the work piece around the form die in compression bending. Both types of tools or machines rotate the arm around the central axis of the form die. The form die rotates with arm and clamp for draw bending, but remains stationary for compression bending.

Figure 3

Figure 3 A : Compression tube bender

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Press bending A different tool for forming materials is the ram type bending press. This is an adaptation of the simple press principle with a ram moving to exert pressure against the work piece. Instead of using a punch and die, however, the ram carries a bending form die and in the place of a die shoe there are two wing dies butted together at the center. As the ram moves upwardly, the wing dies pivot to wrap the work piece around the form dies positioned in the center of the bend. See figures 4 A, B, C, D, E. Bending presses are hydraulically operated and are able to produce a number of different bend angles successively by use of turret mounted stops to regulate the downward movement of the ram and resulting bend angle. In effect, the bending press forms the equivalent of two compression bends at once, each being one half the total angle of the required bend. While the bending press can bend sharper radii on a given work piece, it also tends to deform tubing to some extent, reducing the cross sectional area inside the bend. The press bender makes production bends faster and is commonly used for high speed production of compact air conditioning units, compound units, water chillers, etc.

Figure 4 A: Ram type bending press

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Hand operated press bender

Figure 4 B

Figure 4 C

Figure 4 D

Figure 4 E

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Spring bending A bending spring is suitable for making bends with soft drawn copper tubing where a small bend radius is not required, and where the appearance of the finished circuitry is not important. It may be easily carried in a tool kit. These springs are available in a variety of sizes. To operate an external spring bender, slip the spring over the outside of tubing and position at approximately the center of the proposed bend. Position hands as shown below on figure 6 and work from the center outward until bend is completed. An internal spring bender can also be used on some applications and it works the same way as the external type, except the spring is inserted inside the tubing. Bending springs tend to bind on the tubing after the bend. They may be easily removed by twisting the spring. This changes the spring diameter slightly, so the grip on the tubing is released. If a bend is to be made near the flare and an external spring is to be used, bend the tubing before making the flare. An internal spring can be used either before or after the flaring operation. Tube bending springs may be fitted either outside or inside copper tube while bending tube. A bending spring reduces danger of flattening tube while it is being bent.

Figure 5: Spring bender

Twist to remove spring

Figure 6 A

Figure 6 B

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Figure 6 C

Figure 6 D

Figures 6 shows the proper way to bend tubing with an external bending spring.

Tube bending hazards 1. Flattening of tubing A common hazard encountered when bending tubing by hand or with poorly designed equipment is excessive flattening of tubing at point of bend. Flattening reduces the internal area of the tube and impedes refrigerant flow. The majority of fluid transmission equipment, (hydraulics, refrigerants etc.) is designed with tubing of specific sizes to obtain calculated flow rates. Flattening of the tubing in any part of the system results in a restriction of flow and subsequent malfunction of the system. 2. Stress points on tubing Stress points, such as nicks or grooves can be introduced on the tube outside surface by narrow sharp edged tube clamps (hooks) and rough surfaced forming shoes. These damaged areas are prone to premature failure when installed in a system.

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Wall thickness outer bend Bending radius

Tube diameter (O.D.) Wall thickness inner bend When tubing is bent, the wall Figure 7: Stress points Tube wall thickness thickens on the inside and stretches on the outside.

In addition to outer thinning, there is a slight O.D. flattening in a bend.

Figure 8: Stress points

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Hook

Zero marks

Handle lever

Centre pin

Forming wheel Figure 9

1. To place tube in bender, pull out centre pin and remove handle lever of bender. Raise the hook and place the tube in the space between the handle lever and the forming wheel. Replace handle lever. ( See figures 9 and 10 )

Figure 10: Tube ready to be bent

2.

Drop hook over tube and push in centre pin. Check zero marks on forming wheel, on

tubing and on handle lever.

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3.

Proceed to bend desired angle as indicated by calibrations on forming wheel. Bends to any angle up to 180 can be made with most of the common tube bender.

Figure 11: Bend 45

Figure 12: Bend 90

Figure 13: Bend 180

Figure 14: Remove bent tube

4.

To remove the bent tube from bender, pull out centre pin and raise the hook. Tube can then be readily removed. ( See figure 14 ) Note: Occasionally placing a drop of oil on the forming wheel, centre pin and lever groove will assure a smoother working tool.

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Dimensional bends Handle lever

Hook

Zero mark

To obtain X dimension, tube should be placed in bender as illustrated in figures 15 19.

Figure 15: Gear type bender

Figure 16

Bends from hook side

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Bends from hook side

X
To obtain X dimension, tube should be placed in bender as illustrated in figures 15 19.

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

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RA BS 5.3 INSTRUCTOR VERSION

For bends from lever side : Z = X 1.5 x O.D.

Figure 20: Bends from lever side

Example: Tube diameter O.D. = 12 mm Required dimension X = 15 cm Z = X 1.5 x O.D. Z = 15 cm 1.8 cm Z = 13.2 cm

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PRACTICAL TRAINING

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Practical Exercises:

Required tools and material:

Soft drawn copper tube on coils, O.D. 6, 10, 12, 16 mm Bending spring 10, 12 mm Bending tool, 10, 12, 16 mm Tube cutter Inner- outer reamer Pocket slide calliper Folding ruler Flat steel square 90 Mitre square 135 Refrigerant oil Marker

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PRACTICAL TRAINING

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Test your knowledge:

Instructor Solution

1. What are the most common methods to bend soft drawn copper tubes ? Spring bending Bending by hand Press bending Compression bending All above 2. How can an internal bending spring be removed from a flared tube after making a bend ? Bend the tube before making the flare Grease the spring before insertion Twist the spring Only an internal spring should be used 3. Why are bending springs used ? To provide a better grip on the tube To make a uniform curve To keep the tube from kinking To keep the inside of the tube clean 4. When a tube is bent, the wall thickens on the inside of the bend the wall stretches on the outside of the bend the outside diameter of the tube flattens slightly in the bend There are no stress points on tube if the bends are made correctly 5. The minimum safe bending radius for bending tubing is: Between 5 and 10 x outside tube diameter (O.D) Not important Depends on the bending tool At least 10 x outside tube diameter

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5. Calculate the necessary distance Z for bending tube from lever side

Z=?

X = 250 mm

O.D. = 16 mm

Calculation and result:

Z = X 1.5 x O.D = 250 mm (1.5 x 16 mm) = 250 mm 24 mm

Z = 226 mm