Table of Factors and Terms For Bending Formulas

B = degree of bend L c = clamp length R = centerline radius

E = feathered edge
thickness
F b = bend difficulty factor
F d = "D" of bend
F w = wall factor
K r = constant for rigidity
K s = constant for minimum
clamp length
K z = constant for feathered
edge
L p = pressure die length R i = inside radius
M b = mandrel ball R o = outside radius
diameter S = maximum set-up
M d = mandrel nose depth
diameter T = tube outside diameter
M m = mandrel body T i = tube inside diameter
diameter W = wall thickness
M r = mandrel nose radius W i = thickness of inside
P e = percentage of lamination
elongation at arc W o = thickness of outside
P t = percentage of wall- lamination
thinning
P w = wall thickness after
thinning

Tube inside diameter:

Ti = T - ( W x 2 )

Inside radius:
Ri = R - ( T / 2 )

Outside radius:
Ro = R + ( T / 2 )

Wall factor:
Fw = T / W

"D" of bend:
Fd = R / T
Bend difficulty rating (the higher the value, the more difficult the bend is to make;
rule of thumb only):

Where "K r " = a constant for material rigidity (assign the same value to "K r " as you
would to calculate pressure die length; a value of 2 is suitable for most applications;
click here for more information) and "n 1 " through "n 4 " are values to adjust the weight
of each factor in the equation (see below for our recommended weighting):
General formula: F b = [ ( n 1 x K r ) + ( n 2 x F w ) + ( ( n 3 x B ) / 180 ) ) ] /
[ n4 x Fd ]
Formula with recommended weighting: F b = [ 2K r + .2F w + ( B / 180 ) ] /
[ Fd ]
Note: A bend difficulty rating (calculated with our recommended weighting) of 7 or less
indicates a bend that is relatively simple to produce with the rotary-draw method.
Factors in excess of 7 typically require either additional precision in set-up or close
attention during production in order to hold the set-up parameters.

Wall-thinning of extrados at outside radius after bending (rule of thumb only):

Where "P t " = percentage of wall-thinning and "P w " = targeted thickness of wall
after thinning out from bending:
Pt = ( Ro - R ) / Ro
Pw = W x ( 1 - Pt )

Percentage of elongation at arc of the bend (rule of thumb only):

Pe = ( Ro / R ) - 1

Mandrel nose diameter for single-wall tubing:

M d = T - ( W x 2.21 )

Mandrel nose diameter for double-wall tubing:

Where "W o " = wall thickness of outside lamination and "W i " = wall thickness of
inside lamination:
M d = ( T - ( W o x 2 ) ) - ( W i x 2.21 )

Mandrel nose radius:

 if F w < 50 then M r = M d x .1 else M r = M d x .02

Mandrel body diameter:

M m = M d x .995

Mandrel ball diameter:

M b = M d x .998

Maximum set-up depth of mandrel nose relative to the line of tangency, as

measured from nose end (including nose radius):
S = [ ( R + ( T / 2) - W )2 - ( R + ( M d / 2 ) )2 ]1/2 + M r

Wiper feathered edge thickness (simple-sweep geometry only):

Where "K z " = a constant approaching zero depending upon limitations of
material and method of manufacturing (with current technology, a value of
.0025 is reasonable for "K z "):
if T x K z > .006* then E = T x K z else E = .006*

* Inches. For metric applications, substitute .15 millimeters.

Clamp length:
Where "K r " = a constant for material rigidity (assign a value of 2 to "K r " for
most applications; click here for more information) and "K s " = a constant
limiting the minimum clamp length depending upon the surface of the cavity
(assign to "K s " the value of 2 for smooth cavities and 1 for serrated cavities;
click here for more information):
if ( T x ( K r x 2.5) ) - R < T x K s then L c = T x K s else L c = ( T x ( K r x
2.5) ) - R

Pressure die length:

Where "K r " = a constant for material rigidity (assign a value of 2 to "K r " for
most applications; click here for more information):

L p = ( R x 3.14 x ( B / 180 ) ) + ( T x K r )
Springback and radial growth:

We are frequently asked for formulas to calculate springback and radial growth. While
there are rules of thumb -- e.g., a radius will increase 1% for every "D" of bend -- they
are not effective, as a true formula would be, in reducing the prove-out needed to lock
in the parameters of a machine set-up.

Unfortunately, effective formulas for springback and radial growth have not been
developed, because the factors involved include not only tube and bend specifications
but also machine settings -- especially the radial pressure and axial pressure applied by
the pressure die to the tube and the placement of the mandrel nose relative to the line
of tangency. How an operator sets these things on a particular make and model of
machine alters where the neutral axis of a tube bend lies in relationship to the
centerline of the radius, and it is the location of the neutral axis that determines how
much springback and radial growth there will be. Moreover, springback and radial
growth are the result of fundamentally non-linear processes, which would make any
effective formula that does account for all these factors fairly complex. Presently, finite
element analysis (FEA) is the only tool up to this task, and it is not yet practical for
everyday use in the bend shop.

Fortunately, the trial-and-error needed to adjust for springback and radial growth does
not have to be repeated for every set-up of a tube bend. By using the "Four-Step Set-
Up Method" to employ the "forward mandrel, low pressure" set-up for rotary-draw
tube-bending, the parameters of a successful set-up can be recorded and then
duplicated with little or no trial-and-error to prove out future set-ups of the same or
similar tube bends.