Solutions for effective tubing and connection systems

The highly dynamic stress on hydraulics tubing and connections needs technology that delivers clean, robust and long-term tight results. The engineering company transfluid has been developing tube bending machines for the past 30 years to produce these results and the solutions for these demanding specifications are more and more advanced.

They go from simple bending machines that bend directly on the equipment to CNC-controlled bending machines. Cutting ring pre-assembly machines are available for connections in hydraulics and also forming machines, to add DKOL and other soft sealing connections and hose fittings directly on the tube, as well as forming a single-piece tube fitting on the tube, with no chips.

Strong mobile performance for on-site applications

Simple and effective techniques, little space required (sometimes just one m²) and great flexibility in the applications: transfluid has developed the latest generation of its classic mobile bending machine t bend MB 642 for bending directly on site. With this machine it is possible to bend tube up to 6m long on-site and the floor space needed by the machine does not change.

This is because the rotating head can turn and reduces the working space needed to a minimum.  With the compression bending technique the MB 642 can bend tubes with a diameter between 6-42mm and the operation is simple. The bending radius can be relatively tight in this case, between 2-2.5x the diameter of the tube and 3x with tube with very thin-walled tubes.

Extra equipment is available: internal and external deburring devices, saws and assembly devices for all the most common connection systems (flange and with cutting ring for thread cutting), as well as metal circular saws.

Tight bending radius when using mandrels

For the manufacturing of tube geometries for individual pieces or small series with rotary draw bending, transfluid has developed its compact bending machines with mandrel. They are very flexible and can achieve a very tight bending radius even with tubes with thin walls when bending with a mandrel. This means that the t bend DB 2076K machine can work with tubes with a diameter of 20-76mm.

If needed, it is possible to transfer data to the machine with a USB connection. The control system can store whole bending programs and the machine comes with an 8-angle pre-selection as standard. In this case too there is optional equipment, such as saws, burring devices, cutting ring for threads and flanges, to manufacture complete tubing systems for the individual needs.

Interfaces for small runs and a variety of geometries

As well as tubing and connections for hydraulic applications, there is more and more often the need to process CAD data from different programs or to manufacture complex tubing systems. transfluid makes this possible with CNC machines that perform strongly, are simple to use and completely automated.

The tools can be exchanged quickly, making their use extremely flexible. Because of the price/performance ratios, they are ideal for small production runs and for applications with high geometry diversity. These bending machines work independent of the user and to the specifications of the individual project. This is possible thanks to the interfaces available to connect them with CAD and measuring machines.

Digitally connected to the technical department and measuring systems

transfluid created its own software t project to improve the processes and the safety of the production. The two versions provide controlled tube manufacturing and connect the machines to CAD and measuring systems, BDE (Manufacturing Execution System) or ERP systems.  They make the use of CNC-bending machines or also bending robots more flexible.

For instance, it is possible to test bending sequences in advance, make sure that there are no collisions and execute them. Various additional modules contain the information for whole sequences, to have better control over the process and to manage the forming process data. The software also helps at the cutting stage, reducing any waste to the minimum.

Separate assembly machines for safe connections

In addition to its range of machines for bending techniques, transfluid also offers separate assembly machines for cutting ring or flange connections. They operate in an axial or rolling manner to deliver safe connections. For instance, the combination desk unit HA 642 makes it possible to have the die ring pre-assembly and the flanging of tubes with a 6-42mm diameter.

The new t form forming machine from transfluid with simple tool substitution and reduced operator intervention

Time-efficiency and quality of the end results play a crucial role in efficient forming processes of tube endings. To achieve this, the high-tech machine manufacturer transfluid has completely re-engineered its ‘t form UMR’ forming machine. The proven benefits of the unit were kept and more added, to reduce the process time and achieve better surface results, irrespective of whether you are working with seamless tubes or tubes with longitudinal welding seams.

Electronic pre-selection saves time and manpower

The transfluid solutions shape tubes either in a rolling or rotational process. For instance, the bead rolling machine uses a rolling process. That makes it possible to achieve various forming results on the extremity of the tube, with high-precision reduction over a long distance, and amongst other things it can create a thread with the rolling system.

The rotational process is on the other hand able to carry out multiple flaring at the end of the tube, at an angle to the diameter between 20˚ and 90˚ or contoured, for instance ball-shaped.

„In the past it was necessary to set stops and strokes manually for both machines, in order to achieve good geometries on the surface. The latest generation of machines ‚t form UMR‘ 628, 642 and 2090 only require a very simple tool substitution by the operator, which doesn’t even take five minutes“, says Stefanie Flaeper about the benefits of the latest tube forming machines.

Now the equipment includes a complete selection of flaring-geometries to choose from electronically. The position of the stop, as well as all the strokes and operations are controlled servo-electrically and can be retrieved via a touch panel.

The material that is processed and the type of forming that is required are crucial for the exact timing of the process. The machines completes the process almost independently, when it is possible to retrieve the size of the tube together with the required process parameters. In each case the clamping length for the production process are between 1x and 1.5x the diameter of the tube.

This way the operator always has the option to carry out the forming after the bending steps. With this solution transfluid makes it possible to have a more economical production of complex forming geometries and flaring with polished sealing surfaces in one single forming step.