The swaging machine is used to quickly form metal components and produce a better finish than shoving or hammering. It can also save time and money by avoiding the need for an intensive, less dependable secondary process of finishing. This metal forming method is utilized by a variety of industries including wire cable, hoses and tubing, and rod.
Swaging consists of a rapid succession of hammer strikes that rapidly form and reduce the diameter of metal. This is commonly done in the hose industry to swage a sleeve on a ferrule to secure it to the hose. The swaging process is a safer and more reliable alternative to shoving, which involves shooting a rubber part into a mold bonded metal sleeve.
A swaging tool consists of two or more split dies that open and close up to 2,000 times per minute. When a swaging machine is operating, the split dies are pushed outwards by rollers that are larger than them. As the swager spins, the hammers positioned on the swager’s hammer block will strike the die halves and compress them together by centrifugal force.
The rotary swaging machine is the most common type of swaging equipment. It is used to manufacture a wide range of swage fittings and can perform either hot or cold swaging. These machines come in 2-die and 4-die configurations that are capable of making different initial reductions for the part being manufactured.
There are many types of swaging tools on the market today. Some are hydraulically powered while others are manually operated. Some of these tools have long handles for additional leverage. They can be used to swage copper with minimal effort, but they are heavy and require a lot of hand strength. The main disadvantage to this type of tool is that it can cause damage to the copper by striking the head of the swage tool too hard and too many times.
Another popular swaging tool is the punch swage, which can be used to quickly form the end of a tube to its desired diameter. The punch swage is a little bit more expensive than the other types of swaging tools, but it is fast and doesn’t have any potential for damage to the copper. The most important thing to remember when using this tool is to rotate the copper after each hit with the swage head to prevent mushrooming. Mushrooming is a problem that occurs when technicians fail to rotate the copper after each swage head and hits the swage head too hard and too many times.
The punch swage tool is the most popular method for swaging copper, but it has its drawbacks. It is very noisy and requires a large amount of force to operate. It is recommended that you use a flaring block with the punch to help you get a firm grip on the copper and avoid over-swinging the punch head, which can damage it. It is also a good idea to anneal the copper prior to using it and clean it thoroughly with acetone before each use.