Assembling a machine for bending reinforcement with your own hands. How to make a device for bending reinforcement.

In construction and production, the advantages of fiberglass and other composite reinforcement have been appreciated: low weight, high tensile strength, immunity to corrosion and aggressive environments. Thanks to the above characteristics, this material is actively used and allows saving on the construction of a reinforcing frame compared to the use of steel rods.

Despite the obvious advantages, there are also a number of known disadvantages, due to which the use of this material is often not possible.

How does a rebar processing machine work?

For domestic purposes, a homemade manual bending machine for reinforcement is used, first of all, when constructing a foundation.

Without reinforcing parts, it is almost impossible to make a reliable foundation, so the question arises - how to make a frame, how to bend the existing reinforcement?

Of course, today you can find a huge selection of professional equipment on the market, but the price for it can be very high.

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Such devices are purchased for industrial purposes, workshops, and construction companies. For your personal purposes, a structure assembled with your own hands is suitable.

If we talk about technological standards, a machine for bending reinforcement must have three shafts.

One of them is persistent (holds the rods at a certain angle and fixes them), the second serves to bend the material around the main shaft - the third. It is also called central.

Depending on the type of structure, there are manual and mechanical machines for bending reinforcement.

The latter has found wide application in everyday life, because it is compact in size and relatively low cost, and, due to its simplicity, anyone can work on it.

There are also hydraulic or pneumatic devices. Thus, a hydraulic machine for bending reinforcement can bend material at an angle of up to 180 degrees, ensuring no breaks.

When designing with your own hands, you must not only adhere to your project, but also pay special attention to the quality of the fasteners (after all, the load on the parts can be very high), and take care of organizing protection.

A slipped rod can cause serious injury.

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Therefore, you can often find plexiglass protection on the simplest bending machines for reinforcement, which you can easily make yourself.

Also, if you have experience in assembling machines, you can provide your design with switching speeds to regulate operation.

Some models are equipped with a foot panel, which allows you to easily change the direction of supply of the reinforcement.

Reinforcement bending machines

According to the type of force with which the bending force is created, machines are classified into:

manual,
hydraulic,
pneumatic,
electromechanical,
electromagnetic.

Using hand-held machines, it is possible to produce products from reinforcement with a diameter of up to 14 mm. If you need to manually bend reinforcement with a diameter of more than 14 mm. Then you should use the correct plate and a set of special keys. Manual production of curved reinforcing bars is advisable only for small volumes of work. Increasing the productivity of such manual labor is achieved by using machines for simultaneous processing of several reinforcing bars.

Other types of machines are distinguished by high productivity, precision of the manufactured configuration and the ability to bend reinforcement of any diameter. At the same time, they usually have various functions that increase productivity, small dimensions and the ability to operate in an automated mode.

Bending reinforcement using special equipment allows you to avoid twisting of the product around the central axis. In addition, products bent in this way are characterized by high accuracy of geometric shape. This achieves a reduction in time and labor costs for performing operations to install reinforcement parts in the required design position, which creates a positive economic effect on any construction site.

More information

When creating the structural frame of concrete work, bending and cutting of reinforcement (steel rods to strengthen the concrete) is very often necessary. It is an easy-to-work material that is often used in landscaping, art, and other projects that require metal that bends easily. Conventional reinforcement is distinguished by its nominal diameter, which varies in increments of 1/8 inch (that is, “number 4” reinforcement has a nominal diameter of 1/2 inch (15 mm)). Reinforcement up to number 4, as a rule, can be bent and cut by hand. Larger diameter rebar is not usually used except for technical or industrial concrete work and usually requires special equipment such as hydraulic shears and bending machines.

For this article, we will assume that 1/2 inch rebar (number 4) is used, which is common and used in landscaping and residential concrete work.

Tight bends almost always require the use of a vise, jig, or special tool.
The reinforcement can be heated with a torch for precise control of the bending process. However, this is unlikely to be needed when working with reinforcement having a nominal diameter of 1/2 inch (15 mm).

How to make a home machine?

In order to handle a manual bending machine for reinforcement with your own hands, you first need to prepare a number of tools.

If you are interested in assembly and construction, then finding such parts and the necessary equipment will not be difficult.

First of all, electric welding is needed. For a device that can handle even sheets, you will need a reliable base, a punch, clamps and a clamp.

1 - bending disk mounted on a vertical shaft; 2 - finger; 3 — hole for a finger; 4 — stops; 5 - reinforcing bar; 6 - axial stop

The punch can also be assembled from metal corners. Suitable for assembling and cutting channels. The base is cut precisely thanks to the latter.

The fifth or sixth channel model number is suitable here. But the length should be chosen small - no more than 50 centimeters.

A machine for bending reinforcement will consist of a lever, a punch, a clamp and a main part on which pipes and rods or sheets will be located.

First, an axis for clamps is made on the base at the selected location - it will be more convenient to navigate along it.

However, remember that the clamps should cut into a length 6 millimeters shorter than the blanks made for the base.

They are also kept at a distance of several centimeters from the ends - without such an indentation it will be impossible to correctly distribute the load.

A wire with a diameter of no more than 15 millimeters is suitable for the lever.

The base is bent in the shape of the letter “P”, and it is welded using a welding machine to one of the stable corners. There should be a space of approximately 5 millimeters from the edge.

Next, steel rods are welded to the punch, and chamfers are removed from the ends of the workpiece at an angle of 45 degrees.

To properly weld all the parts and check the angles, evenness of the structure, and joints, you can first use a vice, and then carry out welding work on them.

Thus, it will be possible to make a preliminary frame, which can always be redone.

In addition, where possible, it is better to use bolts instead of welding. This way you can always reassemble or disassemble your structure and supplement it with details.

If, however, preference is given to welding work, then it is first necessary to carry out a test bending procedure. If all stages go well, then you can weld the parts together.

A device (manual machine) for bending reinforcement with your own hands

The principle of operation of all designs of manual devices for bending metal (sometimes called manual machines) is the same: a “lever of the first kind” is used. If you have:

the desire (initiated by need) to create a bending device for reinforcement;
plumbing skills;
necessary tools (including a bench with a vice)

- then you have come to the right place. With our hint, you can create a device (manual machine) for bending reinforcement with your own hands. The device of the proposed design can bend steel reinforcement with a diameter of ≤ Ø 15 mm .

What tool will you need?

In addition to a set of plumbing tools, which every skilled owner has for performing “work around the house and in the country,” you will need:

any welding machine. You will perform MMA welding on it;
electric drill;
cutting machine (angle grinder) and cutting disc “for steel”;
abrasive machine.

Description of the bending device

The bending device consists of two parts:

motionless. It's called the base;
mobile. It's called a lever.

The processed rod is placed between the mandrels and is deformed under the influence of a pin installed on the lever. The amount of force is determined by the length of the lever handle (usually about 500 mm long) and the physical capabilities of the mechanic. If necessary, provision should be made for extending the handle (for example, with a hollow pipe).

Manufacturing technology of fixtures for bending reinforcement

It is necessary to prepare 3 mandrels Ø 20 mm and a pin Ø 25 mm, 50 mm long each (see drawings). The lever should fit freely onto the pin. This is achieved by processing a size of Ø 25 mm on the pin using an abrasive machine.

Base

For the base, we cut out a steel plate with a thickness of ≥ 10 mm (see plate drawing below). Drill holes on it:

Ø 20 mm for mandrel;
Ø 25 mm for pin.

The basis of the bending device.

If you are the happy owner of a durable and strong workbench, you can drill 4 holes Ø 8...10 mm (indicated Ø 8 mm in the drawing) in the base to attach the fixture to it. If the strength of the workbench is in doubt, then the base should be welded to a corner 100 x 100 (mm) with a length of 1000 mm and the above holes should be drilled in the corner for fastening. Insert a mandrel and a pin into the drilled holes Ø 20 mm and Ø 25 mm (as shown in the drawing) and weld.

Lever arm

For the lever, we cut out a steel plate with a thickness of ≥ 10 mm (see plate drawing below). Drill holes on it:

Ø 20 mm for mandrel;
Ø 25 mm for pin.

Bending device lever.

We weld a mandrel and a handle Ø 20 mm and length 550 mm to the lever. To prevent industrial injuries, you can put some kind of protection on the end of the handle (for example, a plastic champagne cork).

Conclusion

After all work has been completed, the welding area should be cleaned from welding slag with a carriage brush. All sharp edges should be “filled” using a fine file. The device will be used outdoors, and therefore an anti-corrosion coating should be provided - in this case, pentaphthalic paint of the "PF" type is sufficient (just do not forget to prepare the surface - clean it with an appropriate solvent). At the junction of the lever with the pin, the surfaces should be lubricated with any grease (solidol, autol, grease, etc.). The condition of this unit should be constantly monitored and lubricated (this will greatly facilitate your work and extend the “life” of the device).

Operating rules

The principle of operation of this device is extremely simple - it is easy to understand if you look at the photograph. Simple safety rules should be followed:

Do not process steel reinforcement with a diameter ≥ Ø 15 mm; Before starting work, you should check the technical condition of the device. If the fastenings of the mandrels or pins are loose, it is necessary to carry out repairs and only then begin work; the workplace should be freed from all unnecessary things.