bending aluminium ac pipework

[RaceDiagnostics]

I have a new pattern ac condenser and need to bend the pipework to match the original, the unions should vertical up and down.

Any suggestion on the best way to do this without cracking the pipe? Should I use any heat?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Well I wast too sure about the annealing so gave it a bend, looks ok so far but I guess I should probably anneal now. What sort of temp should I heat the pipes too.

 

[Seadog]

As previously stated, rub some household soap onto the pipe. Heat until it starts to go brown at which point it should be annealed OK. Avoid direct heat onto the soap though, it'll give you a false indication.

 

[scott0031]

A slight bit of misinformation going on here sorry to say.

Heat treatment only applies to heat treatable material, in this case that material is 6082 nearly always supplied in the T6 spec. For what your job is, you would not use 6082 as there is no strength implications. There are generally only 2 specs readily available in round tube, one is heat treatable 6082 and the other is 6063 which is what you should be using for your job, this is a very ductile material and easy to cold form. Where as 6082 is impossible to cold form without prior annealing. For information you do not use live heat on any aluminum's to hot form them as you could with steel, it's a different beast. (Not that I'm aware of anyway)

Mr Fuzzy's info is kind of correct but not entirely. Re-annealing would only apply to something like using a piece of 6082 sheet on a sandbag being hit multiply times to form a shape, each blow will induce work hardening and if not re-annealed will cause cracking over time. For something like annealing 6082 tube to put through a tube bender or to form a 90 degree bend in a bit of plate / sheet one anneal should be ample and has always proved so with my fairly lengthy experience of working with 6082 over many years.

There is a fair bit of misunderstanding with work hardening on the internet. Forums have played a large part getting that info wrong often being rather second hand info and not first hand. Hate to say it but its true, no offense meant to anyone in a personal way.