Production Cost

One factor affecting production cost in nonmandrel bending is the tooling. Generally, nonmandrel tooling is easier to set up, thus providing quicker changeover.

Setup is performed using the interlocking feature, which means simply adjusting the pressure die to the bend die to control the cavity, and resetting the tube boost if needed.

Another factor affecting cost is the elimination of the expense of expendable tools. The mandrel and wiper die are the pieces of as setup that will experience the most attrition and wear. These pieces also most often experience the misadjustment that causes tool failure.

The absence of a mandrel and wiper die saves not only the cost of the tools, but also the downtime associated with replacing a failed tool.

A final factor affecting production cost would be that in nonmandrel bending, parts are bent dry and clean. The realized gain will vary with different operations, but in the case of dedicated part washers, the savings can be significant. Dry, clean bending can also eliminate the need for disposing contaminated cleaning solutions.

Incorporating nonmandrel ending into the manufacturing process can create new ways of performing operations. For example, with nonmandrel bending, it is possible to bend complex, multiple-operation, multiple-bend parts in situations when it usually would not be possible to provide support to one or more bends.

It is also possible to bend parts with prefinished ends or tubes that have had end fittings attached prior to the bending process. Nonmandrel bending also lends itself well to a more fully-automated system of operation.