Tube Bending Services

Xometry's tube bending services are for creating custom round tubes in a variety of shapes and materials:

• Stainless Steel 304 and 316 (Welded or Seamless) are resistant to rust and corrosion, making them ideal for outdoor, wet, or salty environments. 316 has slightly better corrosion resistance than 304.
• Aluminum 6061 (Extruded or Drawn) is a stiff, lightweight tube that won't rust. It it heavily used in lightweight frames and aircraft parts.
• Alloy Steel 4130 (Seamless) is an extremely strong and tough tube used in race cars and aerospace structures. Seamless reduces failure points in this material making ideal for critical applications.
• Steel A513 (Type 1 HREW, Type 2 CREW, or Type 5 DOM) is a go-to for general use. DOM is smooth and strong for car parts; HREW is less expensive and good for simple structures; CREW is cold-formed for better strength and finish.

The table below depicts the range of tube sizes available for these services. Learn more on our standard tube sizes resource page.

Xometry offers a full range of tube bending capabilities and pipe bending services. These services include:

• Mandrel Tube Bending
• Rotary Draw Tube Bending
• Roll Tube Bending
• Compression Bending

Mandrel Tube Bending – This method (also known as mandrel bending) is similar to rotary draw bending; however, it fully retains the internal tube profile throughout the bend. This process is accomplished using internal support known as a mandrel that preserves the structure of the tube during bending, ensuring that little to no unwanted deformation occurs. The mandrel tube bender has a long bed with a mandrel rod, which holds the mandrel right at the tangent point of the bend. The tube slides over the mandrel, the machine clamps down on it, and the tube is bent while the mandrel remains stationary. Mandrel tube bending is especially useful for thin wall thicknesses, large diameters, and tight radii, where collapsing during bending is common.

Rotary Draw Tube Bending – by far the most popular method, rotary draw benders use a clamping die, radius (or bend) die, and pressure die to hold the tube to form during the entire bending process. The tube is clamped to the bend die and is “drawn” around the other dies via hydraulic or electrical power, resulting in a highly accurate and repeatable bend. Rotary draw tube bending processes can be manual, semi-manual, or CNC-operated. Computer-guided rotary draw bending allows unmatched precision (especially for high-volume applications). However, setup time can be longer, and each unique bend requires tooling to be created. 

Roll Tube Bending – In roll tube bending (also known as roll bending), three dies (or rollers) are used to lock down the tube, where a piston presses down on the tube, and the operator “rolls” the pipe through the machine, causing a gradual bend (also known as an arc). The tube is reset into the dies, the piston is lowered further, and the process is repeated until the desired profile is achieved. This method is often a manually-powered process; however, it can also be motorized for additional power input. Roll tube bending offers variable bends and angles without additional tooling and is ideal for large, gradual bends, but its accuracy and repeatability are limited. 

Compression Bending – With compression bending, the tube or pipe is clamped in place, and force is directly applied, which creates the bend. This process is primarily utilized for single bend applications. No internal support is used with compression bending, which typically produces an oval cross-section and may result in crushing of the bend. Bends generally are limited to angles of 120 degrees or less.