1.2.1.4.1.5 Shipyard - Building - Hull - Tools - English Wheel - Results

.. yet another way how to use this very versatile tool, uniaxial bending of a plate can be achieved either at a cost of at least 80ton press break with usually limited span (2-3m) and extremely limited choice of dies (for alu at least... )... or ...wheeling machine which provides means for uniaxial bending of alu plates as long as one can handle with precision well exceeding welding requirements for overlaps (<<0.5mm) for a fraction of the cost of a press break

Fig. 4.1.10 The basic principle behind bending on English wheel; the top double-wheel is width adjustable and the bottom wheel can be replaced with radius anvils... although in practice...one was enough for us so far...

Fig. 4.1.11 Ladislav with a test piece, after a fast learning curve... each 'bend' takes about ten minutes to finish in several successive runs...

Fig. 4.1.12 The fit is perfect; in this case the bend is used to form a side of an aluminium tank.

Fig. 4.1.13 Another view of the same thing, we use two bends per plate, thus saving two welds on a rectangular tank which would take well above ten minutes each anyway...and the results is looking, well... excellent