Tube bender operators could rely on complex mathematical formulas and rules of thumb, but it’s much quicker to use a tooling chart. This sort of chart lists the two main bending criteria, D of bend and wall factor, on the X and Y axis, respectively. However, these charts have just two axes, and usually are based on bending mild steel to 180 degrees. Tube bending comprises many more variables, materials, and bend angles. Knowing how to make adjustments to compensate for additional factors is critical for successful bending.

While most fabricators could probably name three methods for notching tube, they actually have six choices. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each is the first step in selecting one.

Loading and unloading tube for fabricating often is a manual process. Because labor rates in the U.S. are higher than those in many other countries, manual loading and unloading isn’t competitive. Using an automatic loader/unloader can change that, moving an operation from red to black.