For example, hairpins in the HVACR industry are readily produced in parallel with copper hairpins on identical machines.

Examples of tube end forming made at Hydro

Like for all other materials, the bending and end forming of aluminium tubes is influenced by a number of characteristics of the tube to be bent, of which the most important are:

• Alloy
• Mechanical properties & ductility
• WT (Wall Thickness)
• OD (Outer Diameter)
• OD/WT ratio
• Geometry of the finished product

Successful bending and end forming of all tubes depends on the chosen process and setup of the equipment used.  With respect to aluminium in the HVACR industry, the manufacturing of hairpins and u-bends is considered standard practice that may be implemented without significant changes in the processes.

With decades of experience within support of customers in the automotive industry, Hydro is well prepared to offer advice to the HVACR industry with respect to all the possibilities of bending and end forming of aluminium tubes.