How do CNC Pipe Benders Improve Efficiency in the Manufacturing Process?

Incorporating CNC pipe benders into manufacturing processes streamlines production by automating the bending of pipes with precision and consistency.

Whether it's manufacturing simple bend pipes or fabricating complicated duct systems for aviation, most manufacturing companies struggle with improving process efficiency and maintaining optimal deliverables. The professionals not only have to face issues with material damage and deformed structures post-bending but also the manual bending machines do not yield faster results. This compels them to invest more time and effort, which ultimately culminates in huge monetary losses, production delays, labor exhaustion, and so on. 

To resolve these urgent, pressing issues, manufacturers have started to shift to a more radical approach in the form of CNC pipe benders. These production equipment units are powered by an advanced and state-of-the-art software application that controls the functioning of each machinery part and the entire bending process through automated routines. As a result, they come with numerous benefits over other benders used till date in the manufacturing industry. 

Higher precision and accuracy

Not all bends are large and straightforward. Most manufacturers need to create intricate and complex bends in pipes having extremely small diameters. Furthermore, the material thickness of the pipes is quite less compared to the usual measurements handled through manual bending process. Creating the complicated bends in such pipes is extremely difficult and results in inaccurate bends through general benders. This is why using the CNC pipe bender machine seems to be more feasible. 

Controlled by a software application, it can easily create the complicated and intricate pipe bends while ensuring optimal accuracy and precision in the bend angles, bending surfaces, and other parameters. It doesn’t matter whether the workpiece under consideration has minimal material thickness or diameter as the CNC benders are capable of creating accurate bends with extremely high precision under any condition. 

Versatile workpiece handling

There is no fixed parameter list defining the pipes to be handled for creating the bends. It completely depends on the future applications of the concerned workpieces and the project requirements. Therefore, manufacturers often need to create bends in pipes made from different materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and other forms of alloys. 

Furthermore, the pipes can have varying material thicknesses and diameters, which is why manufacturers need a bending machine that can handle the versatility in the workpieces pretty well and create the necessary bends. CNC tube benders form the best solution for such diverse requirements as the equipment can create perfect bends in pipes made from different materials, having extreme physical parameters in terms of the thickness and diameter. 

Highly cost-efficient 

One of the major advantages manufacturers can enjoy by replacing the manual benders with the CNC-powered bending machine is substantial reduction in process costs and the overheads. There are numerous ways in which these bending machines can help decrease the monetary involvements, including:

  • Since CNC benders have automated workflows, the need to hire manual laborers to supervise the entire tube bending process is significantly reduced. Therefore, manufacturers can save a lot by limiting human resources and utilizing these automated routines. 
  • The production speed and efficiency skyrocket by ten folds with a CNC tube bender, which further allows businesses to produce large batches of bent tubes within a short time frame. It doesn’t matter whether the bends to be created are complicated or not because CNC machines achieve the same level of efficiency and speed when subjected to diverse physical parameters. 
  • Another way in which a CNC tube bender can help reduce the overheads is by minimizing material damage, like deformed tubular structures post bending, surface scratches and scraping, and so on. With reduced material waste, businesses can easily save a lot from the entire production process. 

Enables customization 

Not all industries require off-the-shelf bending designs in the tubes for their end products. For instance, if you consider the aerospace industry, the bend tubes to be used for manufacturing aircraft, satellites, and other products need to have intricate and custom designs that cannot be found in the off-the-shelf tubes. Similarly, industries like aviation, automotive, and construction also require customized bent tube designs that will cater to their specific project requirements without fail. 

Owing to this, manufacturers often rely on the CNC tube benders to meet these requirements and create custom bend structures without compromising the quality of the end products, causing production delays, or creating noticeable differences in the bend designs and physical parameters. 

Enhanced workplace safety 

Workplace safety is indeed the top priority in the manufacturing industry. As laborers need to handle large pipes, complex production processes, and so on, their safety often gets compromised despite having appropriate measures implemented at the workplace. Accidents are more prevalent when old, obsolete machinery units are used to create bends in the workpieces. That’s why using the CNC tube bender seems to be a better approach to enhance the workplace security and reduce the probabilities of accidents and fatal injuries. 

Most benders come with automated loading and unloading arms that allow handling of the humongous tubes without the involvement of manual labor. Similarly, the workbench in a typical CNC bender is equipped with an automated conveyor belt, bending dyes, and gears that allow the movement of the workpiece between the endpoints without compelling human laborers to intervene. Thanks to these advanced features, the chances of accidents and workplace injuries are reduced substantially and manufacturers won’t have to deal with any legal or judiciary issues. 

Higher production speed and efficiency

CNC tube benders can create complicated and intricate pipe bends at a lightning speed, without compromising the quality or structural integrity of the workpieces at any moment. With increased speed, it becomes easier for the manufacturers to meet the project requirements and deliver high-quality end products within the stipulated time. Furthermore, these bending machines can enhance the overall production efficiency, reducing leaks, labor exhaustion, and human interference by a substantial level. The time to market is significantly decreased with CNC benders and manufacturers can supply the required products to their clients early. 

Conclusion 

In this article, we have talked about the major advantages manufacturing businesses can enjoy by implementing CNC tube benders in the production process. While these illustrations sound tempting, the manufacturers must choose the right machine that can handle the workpieces pretty well, maintain optimal quality, limit production leaks and delays, and help save overall expenses.

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