CNC Tube Bending
CNC Pipe & Tube Bending Services
Precision Tube Forming, End Forming and Fitting Manufacture — Stainless Steel Specialists
We provide professional CNC pipe and tube bending services that deliver accurate, repeatable bends across a broad range of tube and pipe applications. From prototype and development work through to medium and large-scale production, our CNC bending capability ensures the precision, consistency and finish quality demanded by precision engineering sectors.
We specialise primarily in brake system, engine component and hydraulic pipework in stainless steel, where controlled bending, minimal distortion and a clean surface finish are critical. We also bend tube in a wide range of other materials, giving customers a single supplier for both demanding stainless applications and more general fabrication work.
Crucially, we don't just bend tube. By combining CNC bending with CNC end forming and precision-turned tube nuts and fittings produced on our sliding head lathe, we manufacture complete, ready-to-fit tube assemblies in-house — controlling quality and tolerances at every stage of the process.
High-Precision CNC Tube Bending
At the core of our pipe forming service is the Crippa 925XE, a high-performance CNC tube bending machine engineered for complex multi-radius and multi-plane work. Its advanced multi-axis control allows us to produce intricate bent components with exceptional repeatability and tight tolerance control, holding accurate angles and consistent geometry across both small and large batches.
Machine capabilities and specifications
- CNC-controlled multi-axis bending
- Suitable for stainless steel, mild steel and aluminium
- Tube diameter capacity up to approximately 25mm (subject to configuration)
- Multi-stack tooling for multiple bend radii in a single component
- Left- and right-hand bending within one cycle
- Programmable for complex multi-plane geometries
- High repeatability for batch production
- Tight bend radii achieved with minimal deformation
- Excellent surface finish through controlled mandrel bending
Our mandrel bending capability ensures clean bends with controlled ovality and minimal wrinkling or collapse, even on tighter radii — suitable for both structural and cosmetically visible applications.
CNC End Forming
Many tube components require more than a bend. Our CNC end forming capability allows us to shape and finish tube ends precisely and repeatably, preparing them to mate with fittings, seals, hoses and connectors. End forming is carried out as an integrated part of our process, so bent tubes leave us finished and ready to assemble.
Our end forming and roll forming work is carried out on our Crippa S2086, a dedicated CNC tube end-forming machine capable of up to six forming operations in a single cycle. Its self-learning programming system and interchangeable rotating heads let us combine multiple processes — including roll forming — without moving the tube between machines, keeping tolerances tight and cycle times short.
Machine capabilities and specifications
- CNC-controlled tube end forming, up to 6 forming operations per cycle
- Integrated roll forming head for grooves, beads and profiles
- Interchangeable rotating heads for cutting, threading, facing and drilling
- Self-learning programming for fast, repeatable set-up
- Suitable for a wide range of tube diameters and wall thicknesses
- Consistent, high-precision results across small and large batch runs
End forming processes we offer
- Flaring — including single and double flares for brake, fuel and hydraulic lines (37° JIC, 45° SAE and bubble/DIN forms)
- Beading — raised retaining beads to secure hoses and rubber connections
- Expanding and reducing — sizing tube ends up or down to suit connections and slip-fit joints
- Swaging — forming one tube end to receive another for clean, secure joints
- Roll forming — rotary forming of grooves, beads and profiles into the tube, including rolled grooves for couplings and O-ring seal grooves, formed with controlled depth and concentricity
- End sizing and calibration — bringing ends to precise diameter and roundness for consistent sealing
- Facing and squaring — clean, square-cut ends ready for fitting or welding
Our roll forming capability complements axial end forming, allowing features to be formed precisely into the tube wall as well as at the very end — ideal for grooved joints, retaining beads and sealing profiles. Forming the ends in a controlled, programmable process ensures every component seals and assembles correctly, with the dimensional consistency required for repeat production.
Laser Scanning & Reverse Engineering
You don't need drawings to have a part reproduced. Using laser scanning for tube bending applications, we can measure an existing bent tube and capture its full geometry — bend angles, radii, plane rotations and end positions — and convert that data directly into a bending programme.
This makes us ideally placed to copy and reproduce original parts, whether you need a single replacement for an obsolete component or repeat production of a part that exists only as a physical sample. By working from the original rather than a drawing, we reproduce the true as-built geometry accurately and repeatably, then form the ends and turn any matching fittings to complete the assembly.
Where laser scanning helps
- Reproducing original or obsolete tube parts with no available drawings
- Reverse engineering physical samples into production-ready programmes
- Verifying first-off parts against an original master
- Capturing accurate geometry for restoration and replacement work
Tube Nuts & Fittings — Manufactured In-House on Our Sliding Head Lathe
Tube bending and end forming work hand in hand with our turning capability. Using our Star SR-32 sliding head (Swiss-type) lathe, we manufacture the precision-turned components that complete a tube assembly — including tube nuts, unions, sleeves, olives and bespoke fittings.
Sliding head turning is ideally suited to small, high-tolerance threaded components, producing tube nuts with accurate thread forms, clean finishes and excellent batch-to-batch consistency. Because we make these parts ourselves, we can match fittings exactly to the formed tube ends rather than working around off-the-shelf availability.
This gives our customers a genuinely integrated service:
- Bend the tube to the required multi-plane geometry
- Form the ends for the correct flare, bead or connection
- Turn the matching tube nuts and fittings to suit
The result is a complete, ready-to-install tube assembly produced under one roof, with full control over tolerances, materials and quality at every stage — and no reliance on multiple suppliers to bring a part together.
Materials We Bend
Stainless steel is our primary specialism, but our equipment and expertise extend across a wide range of tube materials:
- Stainless steel tube (our core specialism)
- Mild steel tube
- Aluminium tube
- Thin-wall and thick-wall tubing
- Polished and structural tube
Across all materials we focus on minimal distortion, controlled ovality and clean, accurate bends suitable for both structural and visible applications.
Industries We Serve
We specialise primarily in brake systems, engine components and hydraulic pipework for the automotive and motorsport sector, and also support other engineering sectors on request:
- Automotive and motorsport — brake systems, engine components and hydraulics (our core specialism)
- Industrial hydraulics
- Industrial equipment manufacturing
- Other sectors considered on request — get in touch to discuss your application
We understand the quality, repeatability and reliability our core automotive and hydraulic work demands, and build it into every component we produce.
Applications
We specialise primarily in tube and pipe components for brake systems, engine components and hydraulic systems, including:
- Fuel, brake and clutch lines and hardline pipework
- Engine component pipework — oil, coolant and fuel transfer lines
- Hydraulic and pneumatic pipework
- Custom fabricated tube assemblies
Our current tube bending capacity covers diameters up to approximately 25mm, so this work is best suited to automotive, motorsport and general fluid transfer applications rather than larger-diameter structural, architectural or exhaust work.
Small & Large Batch Production
Our capacity is built to flex around your project, from one-offs to ongoing supply:
- Prototype and development work
- One-off and small batch production
- Medium batch production
- Large-scale repeat manufacturing
CNC automation across bending and end forming delivers rapid set-up, excellent repeatability and cost-effective production for both low and high volumes.
Quality & Precision Control
Quality is engineered into every stage of our process:
- CNC-programmed bend and end-form accuracy
- Controlled bend radius and angle verification
- Reduced material marking and deformation
- Dimensional inspection and verification
- Consistent repeatability across full production runs
Our mandrel bending and controlled end forming ensure clean, accurate components that meet exact design specifications and performance requirements.
Why Choose Us?
- Specialists in brake system, engine component and hydraulic pipework
- Advanced Crippa 925XE CNC tube bending technology
- Integrated CNC end forming and roll forming for fully finished tube ends
- Laser scanning to reverse engineer and copy original parts without drawings
- In-house tube nut and fitting manufacture on a Star SR-32 sliding head lathe
- Complete tube assemblies produced under one roof
- Precision multi-radius and multi-plane bending
- Small and large batch capability with fast turnaround
- High repeatability and consistent, inspected quality
Custom Tube Components — Made to Your Specification
If you have drawings, CAD files, design concepts — or simply an original part you need copied — we can programme and produce your bent and formed tube components, complete with matching turned fittings, accurately and efficiently. Using laser scanning, we can reverse engineer an existing sample where no drawings exist. We work closely with customers to optimise manufacturability and ensure consistent production quality, from a single prototype to high-volume manufacturing.
Request a Quote
Looking for professional CNC pipe bending, end forming and tube assembly services? Send us your drawings or specifications and we'll provide a fast, competitive quotation tailored to your project.