Differences between pipe bending machine and pipe rolling machine

1. Processing differences

What is a pipe bending machine?

The action of bending metal tubes is technically known as cold plastic deformation processes (CPD). Pipe bending effectively means deforming a tube or section bar with a relatively narrow radius of curvature that in relation to the diameter of the tube, or may vary from a minimum of 1.5 times the tube ø.

Figure 1 BLMA pipe bending machine

What is pipe rolling machine?

Rolling is a process whereby we obtain cold process deformation with a wider bending radius, that theoretically could range from 5 times the cross-section to infinity. To achieve this process, the equipment used which consists of a pipe rolling machine.

The steel tube is made to pass through a set of three rollers, and after one or more passages (depending on the difficulty of bending), will form an arch with the required radius of curvature. In that roll-bending is, generally speaking, a simpler process than bending.

Figure 2 BLMA pipe rolling machine

2. Mold composition differences

Necessary equipment of tube bending

(1) Bending die

(2) Flange (square and rectangular tube only)

(3) Clamping die

(4) Counter clamp

(5) Fixed or hinged mandrel（depending on the difficulty of bending）

(6) Slide

(7) Counter slide (particular difficult bends only）

Figure 3 pipe bending molds

Necessary equipment of tube rolling

(1) 3 rolls or 7 rolls

(2) Drive roll and guide roll

(3) Hydraulic drive and servo drive

Rolling is a simpler process than bending, it does not require the use of much equipment. All that necessary is, three specially contoured rollers for each section of steel tube or section bar, through which the material is passed to give it desired cold process deformation.

Figure 4 pipe rolling molds

3. System differences

Pipe bending machine system

NC, PLC, IPC system for options

Figure 5 pipe bending machine system

Pipe rolling machine system

NC system

Figure 6 pipe rolling machine system