A common feature of bend dies; a pair of tabs extending circumferentially from the top and bottom surface of the die which interlock with mating shoulders on the clamp and pressure dies. The purpose of interlock is to help hold the clamp and pressure dies in the plane of bend, especially on older machines. Occasionally the bend die will have the shoulders and the clamp and pressure dies the tabs; this is called “reverse interlock”.
FREE Tube-Bending Guide Download:
A complete guide to the principles of the 4-Step set-up for tube-bending tools
This is a printable handbook showing how to implement in four standardized steps the “forward mandrel” set-up for rotary-draw tube-bending machines and establish process control over the so-called black art. The procedure is based upon the guiding principle that the tools make the bend and takes advantage of the inserted design of modern mandrel tooling.