David R. Whitney

Steel Bender

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At Radford University, I built this steel bender because of a recurring need for steel curves in our scenery. After reviewing two similar machines, I researched, designed, and built this one. The basic concept of this machine is simple. By pressing the steel to beyond its yield point and then rolling it through a series of rollers designed to withstand this force, one can create a slight curve in a steel beam. If this is repeated for several passes, a curve to virtually any radius can be created.

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A construction overview of the steel curve-bender, shown in three different orthographic views.
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A 3D isometric drawing of the steel curve-bender.

A 3D isometric drawing of the steel curve-bender.