To answer that question, let us have a look at how metal is bent and what tools are required for this process. When we buy a metal object, we get it in one of two forms-moulded or extruded. For instance, when we buy metal objects, they will have been hammered, slanted or shaped according to our needs. Metal objects need to be bent into various shapes and structures. In both cases, the shape is dependent on the type of metal that is being used and on the bending process.
We use numerous tools for metal bending. Some of them include: welding rods, stamping tools, burners, hydraulic presses, heaters, water jetters, grinders and rollers. A majority of these tools are often used on projects and manufacturing assembly line work. For more information on Bending Machines, go to www.cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/euromac/horizontal-bending-machines/
Heat Treatment: This is a technique that is used to treat the metal by raising its temperature to above melting point, at which point the metal is given a variety of external stresses. When metals are bent, they often experience several stress breaks. The bending of the metal sheet requires a lot of heating and hammering. A piece of metal is bent by passing it through a piece of mechanical roller that applies heat on the metal sheet until it is forced to buckle. This type of bending can be achieved using electric machines, but it takes a lot of effort and equipment to accomplish it.
Annealing: Annealing involves the heating of a piece of metal sheet in an oven to allow it to attain pliability and reduce hardness. The metal is then passed through an annealed atmosphere at very high temperatures. This creates a layer of liquid metal on the surface of the metal sheet, which allows it to be bent into the desired shapes. The bending is most commonly achieved for electronics, as the process changes the electrical properties of steels, for example. The annealed temperature of the oven can be adjusted so that there is no additional heating required after the bending has taken place.
Tempering: Tempering involves treating the metal with an agent that helps to create a particular shape, such as the ability to bend it into different shapes, when the metal is placed in an oven at extremely high temperatures. It is used to make a metal tougher, particularly iron-based alloys. When the metal is cooled, the sheet can be bent into the desired shapes as the process increases the ability of the metal to bend without breaking.
To make a wide variety of components, metal can be heated which deforms it and then force is applied to shape it into the desired shape. It is bent at an angle usually to form a U or V shape. The process is known as elastic deformation because it involves a bending or stretching of the bonds between atoms in a piece of metal.
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