Induction heating pipe fittings - GIF

[Jon]

Induction heating pipe fittings. I like how the pieces break off; I guess they're scored, and then gravity does the rest?




Previously:

Induction hardening crankshafts - video
Induction forge - GIF
Pipe bending GIF

[Frank S]

OK these fittings are not being heated high enough to bend on their own to a perfect 90° every time.
What we are not seeing or cannot see is there is a shaped mandrel die inside. sections of pipe are tack welded together with small tacks 5 to 10 pieces at a time then slid over the draw shaft which is quite a bit smaller in diameter than the ID of the pipes the die is on the other end then the draw rod is fitted to the rod of a hydraulic cylinder the rod extends through both ends of the cylinder and is fixed at the opposite end so the cylinder moves not the rod this allows the cylinder to push the pipe sections through the induction coil heating them to plasticity they are then pushed over the die forming the bend heating has weakened the tacks so they break off.
Go to any supply store that sells these fittings and look inside the bore of them you will see the marks where they were pushed over the bending die.
Only so many can be formed before the die and the draw rod have to be cooled Since the draw rod does not touch the pipes it does not absorb as much heat directly from the induction but stills receives a significant amount of radiant heat that it must be cooled regularly

[mwmkravchenko]

http://www.primesteeltube.com/produc...pipe-bend.html

Seems like it is the localized heating within the induction coil that produces the bend. Must be a real pain in the butt to get this set up properly!

[mwmkravchenko]

Jon.

My guess is that they are a series of pieces that are getting pushed along on a conveyor of some kind. I have used similar processes to plane very short pieces of wood. As long as there is a continuous stream of them the machine is happy. Spaces between the pieces make for big trouble!