BENDING DEVICE FOR THIN-WALLED METAL PIPES

A bending device is described for thin-walled metal tubes (R) made of a straight tube guide ( 1 ), a core template ( 2 ), which adjoins the tube guide ( 1 ) and is pivotable in relation thereto, having a connection strip ( 3 ), and a mandrel, having a mandrel tip ( 4 ), which is flexible in the region of the core template ( 2 ), and a mandrel shaft ( 5 ), which adjoins the mandrel tip ( 4 ) and is rigidly connected thereto and is axially fixed ( 1 ) in the tube guide. In order to support the metal tube (R) to be bent over its entire surface on the inside in the active bending region during the bending procedure, the flexible mandrel tip ( 4 ), which comprises a radially incompressible solid cylinder made of elastomer, extends only over the starting section of the bending curve, where the bending procedure occurs. In order to pull the metal tube (R) to be bent over this mandrel tip ( 4 ), the tube is clamped in the region of the core template ( 2 ) for a short length using a spherical clamping head ( 7 ) insertable in the metal tube (R), the clamping head ( 7 ) being movable in relation to the mandrel tip ( 4 ) in the pivot region of the core template ( 2 ) and being attached to a traction means ( 6 ) implemented as a retrieval element.