We have the capability to print bend formers for tubes up to around 35mm diameter, 2 mm wall thickness, based on a 2D bend radius. However, once we have the tool former designed, we can reprint another relatively inexpensively and quickly, and so you can consider these tools as if they are normal steel bending tools. Temporary means that it can produce some tens, or sometimes hundreds, of parts before it requires replacement. In addition to the wide range of tooling sizes that we already have on the shelf we also have the capability to produce the bend former as temporary tooling produced on an additive manufacture printer.

For best practice stick to this guideline. wall thickness is less than around 10% of the tube diameter). It is possible to operate with shorter straights, but it will often result in clamping marks being clearly visible on the finished tube, especially where it is a thin-walled tube (i.e. where the centre line bend radius is less than twice the diameter of the tube, the straight will need to be considerably longer, because much stronger clamping area is needed. It is, of course, best to leave as much space as possible. Minimum straight between bends at least R The simple answer to the question is that the straight should be no less than the bend radius, or The reason that a straight length is required is so that the tube can be held by the clamp, during draw bending, whilst it is drawn around the former. One additional point, which we are sometimes asked is what is the minimum straight length required between bends. In particular, it is worth reiterating that, wherever possible, you should design your tubes with only one bend radius. Unless you are experienced in designing tube components, we would strongly recommend that you read our Tube Bending Design Guide. This will allow us to provide you with a rapid quotation and a short production lead-time. If you can base your designs around the tube diameter and bend radii for which we have existing bend former tooling, you will avoid both the cost and lead time issues of new tooling. We have built up a very extensive suite of tooling over many years, so please do not assume that other suppliers will have the same options available. Therefore, in this guide, in contrast to the others where the standard principles apply whichever tube manipulator a customer chooses to use, the tooling size information relates directly to Listertube.

However, we are often asked to give specific advice on which tube diameters and bend radii customers should use if they want to be sure that we will have the tooling already available.

In our very well received Tube Bending Design Guide, and our End Forming Guide, we have provided general advice on how to produce designs that are best suited to production.

Progressive tube bending chart