Analysis of Spring Back Error in Pipe Bending

Bending pipes are employed in a vast variety of applications, including petroleum industries, chemical industries, gas industries, automotive industries, and process industries. Bent pipes are responsible for the transportation of volatile fluids, liquids, and gases. Since weight reduction is a major concern, hollow pipes are employed in numerous car parts. These pipes can be bent in all the required directions based on their application. As per requirements in industries, to avoid vibrations, leaks, and errors under normal operating conditions, it becomes mandatory to maintain the appropriate pipe bending angle. The spring back, which affects the bending angle while bending a pipe, is by far the most significant factor. Three types of pipe materials, namely copper, structural steel, and stainless steel, are taken into consideration to determine the effect of spring back angle. At several pipe bending angles (300, 600, and 900), the spring back effect is investigated. ANSYS software is used to carry out the numerical analysis to estimate the spring back angle values. Minitab Statistical software is used for DOE using the Taguchi optimization method. The hydraulic automatic tube bender machine is used for the experimental testing. The experimental results are well corroborated with the numerical analysis results. This paper focuses on the effects of spring back error that happens when pipes are bent at various angles and made from various materials. With the help of the obtained results, a relationship between pipe material and its response to the spring back effect is obtained. It is found that the optimized parameters, bending angle 30°and structural steel pipe are suitable for getting less spring back angle.