Design of a torque generating mechanism

Abstract

The design and assembly of a mechanism to bend schedule 80 stainless steel pipe up to 1 ½ in nominal diameter is presented. The use of a relatively small hydraulic actuator, coupled with a toothed wheel to produce the bending torque, is a novel approach to the process. The bending method uses two arms and a radius block in order to accomplish the bending. The hydraulic power consumption in the machine is very small (750 W, 3.4 MPa, 11.4 in/min). The strongest restriction upon the design is that it could be manufactured in small shops, with a cost low enough to be profitable even for a small production volume.