Hot Air Pipe Forming
Formed using our new Generation 7 machine. A more energy efficient
process that can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
Minimum bend radii 2.5 x tube OD (as a general rule based on a 90° bend).
Complex multi radii bends on 1 part.
No minimal distance between bends.
Bend on bend in any plane is possible.
Seconds to change forming jigs, no tools required.
Very complex shapes, upto 2.5 meters.
High quality, low cost solution.
Compatible with smooth bore and corrugated pipe.
If your pipe construction is outside of our normal specifications please contact us.
Generation 7 machines
These are the 7th generation of our hot air machines. We have carried out extensive R&D on the forming process and have develpoed a machine that greatly reduces energy comsumption, these machines will reduce your carbon footprint and give a cost saving over other forming methods.
The machines use hot air to form plastic pipes, they can be used to form smooth bore or corrugated pipes.
The machines comprise of 2 stations which are totally independent of each other, they monitor the air temperature and adjust the settings to suit, each station has its own air heating and cooling system to compensate for the ambient temperature.
Special machines can be manufactured when the pipe form is outside of the standard or extended machine sizes.
Hot air forming is a quick, clean and energy efficient production forming process.
The foot print of a standard size machine is approximately 2 meters by 1 meter, the extended machine is 3 meters by 1 meter, these require an air supply and 3 phase electricity. The average cycle time is approximately 90 seconds depending on the form of the part, after this the part can be unloaded and is ready for assembly and testing.
Each machine is capable of running a single jig, one long jig or two jigs.
Forming Jigs
We have vast experience in the forming and assembly of plastic pipes. Ranging from 6mm OD air suspension lines, underfloor fuel lines and up to 18mm corrugated battery cooling lines. The tools we have manufactured are in production on various continents around the world. These tools are producing parts which are being fitted to vehicles today.
This is a sample of 3 different jigs. These jigs can be hot swapped by a single operator in under 60 seconds, there is a BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) system used to identify each jig and run the appropriate parameters, the machines can store 15 different sets of parameters.
Jig sizes
These are the standard sizes of jigs for each configuration of machine.
Standard Hot Air Machine Jigs:
900mm x 400mm (or 1900mm x 400mm by utilising both stations.)
Extended Hot Air Machine Jigs:
1400mm x 400mm (or 2900mm x 400mm by utilising both stations.)
Special Hot Air Machine Jigs:
Foot print to suit component shape.