Tube Capacity Chart – TWA Version

Bending Wall Thickness Capacity Chart – Thin Wall Attachment Version

We at Rogue Fabrication work hard to provide our customers with the most complete and accurate tube bending information available. We do out part to ensure that your fab shop runs as smoothly as possible. Although the chart below is the result of tests we performed on purchased materials, we cannot guarantee that you will achieve the same results due to the wide variation in material quality from one mill to another. If you want to know what to expect from a specific material, we offer bending diagnostic services. If your bender does not perform to the limits shown in this chart, please call so we can help diagnose the problem. The culprit is usually setup, material quality, or lubrication. If so, the fix is easy.

NOTE – With the recent release of our affordable and high-performance mandrel conversion, we have not yet tested all dies to the limit in terms of minimum wall thickness. We will continue to do testing and add the new dies we’re designing for the machine as we discover new lower limits to minimum bend radii. Please e mail us with your questions!

Select Machine Capacity:

Select Attachments:

Please select HD or xHD machine capacity for compatibility with the mandrel attachment

Definitions / Notes

OD

Outside diameter

CLR

Center line radius. See M600 Bender Tech for more info.

Aluminum

We test primarily 6061-T6 because if that will bend, most other aluminum alloys will bend fine.

Carbon Steel

We test 1020 DOM and 4130N DOM primarily. We have found that good quality HREW bends the same, but there are many more alloys/grades of HREW, so it can be a source of inconsistency.

Stainless

We only test low carbon 304, 304L. In our experience, 316 and 316L bend similarly to the 304 alloys, and 409 bends better than them (less prone to wrinkling). Please look up Ferrari F355 headers before selecting 409 stainless for header applications!

M600 Basic

Standard Model 600 bender, no TWA (thin wall attachment).

M600 W/HD Kit

Model 600 HD, or a Standard M600 with HD kit ($65) added, and 2 pressure dies. See “HD Kit” in the dies section for more information.

M600 xHD

Xtreme heavy duty Model 600 (thicker frame and pins).

Thin Wall Attachment

Drop in subframe that allows ultra fine tuning of bend characteristics. As of 10-5-2016 this option is not yet for sale on our web page. Call us to get on the waiting list. This IS 100% compatible with all current M600 machines.

Mandrel Attachment

Bolt on frame that allows a metal mandrel (plug) to be installed inside the tubing where the bend is taking place. This holds the tubing open during the bend and allows bending of thinner material with amazing bend quality. This is ideal for headers, some exhaust work, and of course beautiful structural work like roll cages. 

NPS

Nominal Pipe Size – for more info on pipe and tube, see M600 Bender Tech.

Sch

Pipe schedule. This is how pipe thickness is specified. Search online and you will find a pipe schedule with decimal thicknesses listed.

TBD

To Be Determined. As a small company that is rapidly expanding our product offerings and innovating in affordable metalworking technology, we frequently offer products before we have the chance to find their limit in all material sizes. That is the case where you see “TBD” on a die listing.

Notes – Bending the absolute minimum that is listed in the table above will produce the highest amount of deformation possible on any given die. Going up even one thickness (like from .095 to .120, or .083 to .095) will typically improve bend quality significantly. We ALWAYS recommend you buy your material from a reputable supplier with material certifications and buy a small amount to test before you order a truckload. If you shop around until you find a better deal than anyone else can get, you are probably buying junk material. Don’t commit to 100 sticks before you test it in a tubing & pipe bender! Also, if you want to be 100% certain that your exact material will bend nicely on a die, we are happy to test it for you before you purchase, just contact us. Our Thin Wall Attachment reduces deformation and will typically produce better bends at minimum listed wall thicknesses.

Hydraulics systems – We offer 2 hydraulics systems for our machine. The air/hydraulic system covers the entire chart above. The electric/hydraulic system maxes out at 1.5 x .156 wall square tube or 1.75 x .188 round tube, or 2.00 x .120 round tube. This is because the power of the electric/hydraulic system is biased more toward speed than outright tonnage. We are making a larger diameter cylinder for the electric/hydraulic system to allow it to be used on heavier duty applications. Check back soon. 

Have questions not covered in ANY of our tech articles or FAQ?! E mail us or call. We will answer them and publish the popular ones.