Metal Forming Oil

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ETNA Products, Inc. manufactures a complete line of premium metal forming lubricants that improve the economics of the tube bending, forming, pointing or expansion process. Our line of MASTERDRAW® tube forming industrial lubricants may be used to lubricate metals including carbon steel, stainless steel, nickel based alloys, copper, aluminum and titanium. The superior metal forming lubricants produced by ETNA Products act to prevent galling, excessive tool wear, and aid in the product of parts that consistently meet finished part quality specifications.

METAL TUBE BENDING

Metal tube bending is a complex process that involves understanding different variables to determine the material, machine type, and lubricant desired for a given job. Typically, tube bending utilizes a round tube, although some machines may handle square or rectangular stocks.

For most metal bending operations, the stock is passed through rollers and is formed by dies and, in some cases, by internal mandrels. The bend angle will depend on a number of factors, such as the wall thickness of the metal, center-line radius, and outside diameter (OD).

There are a number of tube bending processes, such as compression bending, ram-type bending, roll bending, and rotary draw bending.

Tubes will often experience spring back after bending, resulting in increased radial growth. Certain metals, such as copper, will experience very little spring back, when compared to the spring back of steel tube after tube forming.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TUBE FORMING LUBRICANTS

The selection of the optimal forming oil will mainly depend on the inside/outside bend radii, the centerline radius, as well as the distance between bends. Tight surface fits between the tube inside diameter (ID) and mandrel shank require a premium forming oil to reduce the amount of friction being produced during the tube forming operation.

In cases where a water soluble oil is used on the bending operation, the amount of dilution of the tube forming lubricant will depend on the specific material and machine process being used. A higher concentration of lubricant will be required for use on more severe bending operations.

Advanced metal bending of tubing with small radii and thick walls requires the use of more highly formulated lubricants to prevent premature wear at the wiper die. Creating a precise bend angle requires high performing metal forming lubricants that will protect mandrels from buckling or kinking, especially during rotary draw bending.

It is important to apply the forming oil to the inside of the tool, as well as the inside of the tube to prevent the lubricant from running dry during the forming process.

Our line of MASTERDRAW® lubricants reduces product consumption, prevents galling on the tooling and protects the finished parts from overheating. Our neat oils and water soluble oils may be applied to the inside or outside radius of the drawing tube to diminish friction of the wiper die during the tube forming process.

COOLANT MAINTENANCE OF TUBE FORMING LUBRICANTS

ETNA Products, Inc. provides a complete coolant maintenance program for customers using our metal forming lubricants. We work with our customers at every step of their operations to reduce disposal costs and to maintain and extend the life of their tube forming lubrication systems.

We understand that our customers’ tube forming lubricants are constantly impacted by contaminants, such as metal fines, oxides, grease excretion from bearings as well as by dirt on the incoming tubing. All of these contaminants greatly reduce the life of the tube forming lubricant system. In addition, these contaminants will increase friction at the machine’s most vulnerable points over time.

Failure to maintain the coolant may also result in contamination from bacteria and fungus that degrades the composition of your water soluble oil over time. This, in effect, reduces the lifespan of the tube forming oil.

Tube bending and forming fluids.

View our MASTERDRAW® line of tube forming lubricants and product details below. Request a product sample and/or safety data sheet (SDS) with the form at the bottom of this page.

  • MASTERDRAW® G with EELT™
  • A smooth, tan, and opaque soluble oil used for bending and flaring copper, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel and titanium tubing.

  • MASTERDRAW® 8527RP
  • A non-chlorinated lubricant and tube forming fluid used for pointing carbon steel tubing.

  • MASTERDRAW® B4626
  • A non-chlorinated, non-sulfurized water soluble forming fluid used for bending, flaring, pointing, and tapering of copper, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel and titanium type tubing.