A professional who sets up and operates machine to bend metal structural shapes, such as bars, rods, angles, pipes, and tubes, to angle or contour specified by work order, drawings, templates, or layout. Respnsibilities include:

• Selects and bolts holding clamp, die block, and guide clamp to machine.
• Positions and clamps end stops on machine to set specified location of bend.
• Inserts or screws plug stops into guide wheel to set specified degree of bend.
• Positions workpiece against end stop.
• Locks holding clamp and guide clamp onto workpiece.
• Lubricates workpiece with oil.
• Starts turntable that draws workpiece through guide clamp around die block until stopped by plug stops or until dial indicator points to specified degree of bend.
• May slide mandrel into tubing instead of using guide clamp.
• May preheat workpiece, using hand torch or heating furnace.
• May use hand-powered bending machine for short runs.
• May fill tubes or pipe with sand, resin, or lead to prevent wrinkling or collapsing during bending operation.
• May heat tube, using torch, and manually bend tube or pipe around forming blocks.
• May flare tube ends, using tube flarer and cut or trim metal stock to length, using power shears or saws.
• May be designated according to type of stock bent as pipe-bending-machine operator; rod-bending-machine operator i; tube-bending-machine operator i.