Custom copper tube bending: a real technical challenge
The first coil was made from Ø20 x 2 mm copper tube, with a coil diameter of approximately Ø434 mm.
The second was manufactured from 40 x 12 mm flat copper, with a height of approximately 390 mm.
Project specific feature: the coil made from round tube was exceptionally produced from a copper coil rather than a straight tube, which required additional adjustments during bending.
Why is this type of bending complex?
The first difficulty in this project stemmed from the complete absence of specific tooling.
In the tube-bending trade, tooling plays an essential role: it guides the material, maintains shapes, and ensures part consistency. With atypical geometries like these, it is often necessary to adapt methods and adjust settings directly during production.
The complexity increased further with the rectangular copper part.
Unlike a round tube, a flat section is far more sensitive to deformation:
• Geometric variation
• Localized flattening
• Difficulty maintaining perfect consistency
The regular 50 mm pitch required on both parts also demanded excellent control of positioning and bending repeatability.
A soft material… turned into an advantage
Both parts were made from copper, a particularly soft material in this specific case.
Usually, a material that is too soft makes the bender’s work more difficult because not all parts react in exactly the same way. Here, however, this flexibility ultimately made it easier to achieve the desired shape despite the lack of dedicated tooling.
The copper accepted the necessary deformations while maintaining a clean, harmonious geometry.
The bender’s expertise remains essential
As is often the case with complex projects, success depends as much on the machine as on the bender’s experience.
Understanding the material’s behavior, adjusting settings, making gradual corrections, and finding the right balance: it is this technical mastery that enabled us to produce these two custom copper parts with particularly atypical geometries.
