Is bending pipe different than tube bending?

Answer 1

This depends on the thickness of the pipe in question. When bending tubing and pipe one wants to keep the inner diameter consistent through the bend. That's what tube bending kits are designed to do. Exhaust pipes ( wich are thin ) are bent in the same fashion as tubes, only the machines are larger. You can see this if you visit a local muffler shop. If the pipe is thick walled the pipe must be heated to bend it, and then annealed. This process utilizes heavy hydraulic driven machinery. Mandrel bending is a system wich uses two heavy wheels the pipe is fed through. Sand bending is a shade tree mechanics technique where the pipe is packed with dry sand and then heated and bent by hand.