All-electric tube bender extends shape-forming capabilities of aerospace maker

As an example of the exacting specifications that SLE faces, one current part for a military fighter program calls for a shape with multiple 2D bends but minimal straight sections between bends, using thin wall titanium tubing. Tube ovality also has to be less than 5% after bending - as compared with an industry norm of 10% - and the part shape has a positional and length tolerance of just +/- 0.005 inches after bending and welding. As the part is made from titanium, bending must be right first time as adjustments after shape forming are almost impossible. The consistency and repeatability of the Unison machine is a critical enabler for fabricating this part, as well as other titanium tube parts that SLE currently makes.

Another aspect of the advantages of the Unison machine for a contractor such as SLE is the ease of programming. Tubes are often the last parts to be defined and designed - whether they are for an engine or airframe. Using its own bespoke macro-driven CATIA V5 closed-loop CAD/CAM facility, and Unison's three-dimensional simulator, SLE can create new CNC bending programs for the Unison machine very rapidly - providing ideal support for clients that are unable to supply tube/pipe details until the very late stages of projects.

"All-electric tube bending technology has given this client both a rapid return on investment, and a means of tackling emerging challenges such as bending exotic materials," adds Steve Haddrell of Unison.

SL Engineering Ltd has the fullrange of in-house resources required to offer complete solutions for the manufacture of specialised rigid tube assemblies and precision machined components used in some of the most demanding applications in the aerospace, industrial gas turbine, marine, oil and gas, and medical industries. Founded in 1959, SL Engineering has always specialised in high-precision tubular assemblies - from a starting point of products for motorsports applications. Today, the company employs around 50 staff. Its core capabilities include CNC tube manipulation, CMM tube inspection, multi-axis CNC machining for manufacturing complex end fittings, plus all required support processes including welding, brazing, assembly, pressure testing, and NDT (dye penetrant and x-ray inspection). To support its work in aerospace, SL Engineering has attained qualification to many key industry standards including AS9100 (Rev C) aerospace quality management systems, BS EN ISO9001, and NADCAP special process approvals for welding, brazing and NDT. To reinforce its position as a leading tube assembly specialist, SLE has also achieved SC21 award status for the last three consecutive years - making it one of the top performing aerospace organizations in the UK in terms of business performance and continual improvement. This performance has been all the more impressive as SLE also achieved 22% growth in business during 2013.