A bender includes a rotatable bending shoe having a plurality of channels therein configured to receive a workpiece and a follower assembly. The follower assembly includes a mount, a follower bar attached to the mount, the follower bar having a plurality of channels therein configured to receive the workpiece, a roller attached to the mount and engaged against the follower bar, the roller having an eccentric shaft extending therefrom, and a motor for rotating the shaft and roller, wherein rotation of the shaft and roller causes the follower bar to translate toward or away from the bending shoe. A drive member can be provided to move the mount toward or away from the bending shoe.

A bending mold device for bidirectional pipe bending includes a mounting base which is horizontally arranged on a rack in a sliding manner. The mounting base includes a translation lead screw driving the mounting base to slide. The rack includes a lead screw nut. A pipe bending spindle is rotatably disposed on the mounting base and a power mechanism is disposed on the mounting base. The upper end of the pipe bending spindle is movably connected to a lower rotating base. The lower rotating base includes a first pipe bending shaft and a second pipe bending shaft, which respectively include a first bending mold lower mold and a second bending mold lower mold. The rack includes a cylinder above the lower rotating base. The end part of a piston rod of the cylinder fixedly includes an upper limiting plate and a lower limiting plate in a sleeving manner.

A bending mold device for bidirectional pipe bending includes a mounting base which is horizontally arranged on a rack in a sliding manner. The mounting base includes a translation lead screw driving the mounting base to slide. The rack includes a lead screw nut. A pipe bending spindle is rotatably disposed on the mounting base and a power mechanism is disposed on the mounting base. The upper end of the pipe bending spindle is movably connected to a lower rotating base. The lower rotating base includes a first pipe bending shaft and a second pipe bending shaft, which respectively include a first bending mold lower mold and a second bending mold lower mold. The rack includes a cylinder above the lower rotating base. The end part of a piston rod of the cylinder fixedly includes an upper limiting plate and a lower limiting plate in a sleeving manner.

An apparatus includes a guide member configured with stress limiting features which function to prevent the stress from bending the guide member causing ovalization of the guide member. An apparatus for bending a guide member includes a ram die and a pressure die which are configured to fully encircle the portion of the guide member during the bending operation. A fixture for supporting a guide member during bending is configured to fully encircle sections of the guide member during bending.

A needle bending assembly configured to at least temporarily contain a needle can include a first housing section, a second housing section, and a coupling element coupled between the first housing section and the second housing section. The first housing section defines a first cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a first section of the needle. The second housing section defines a second cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a second section of the needle forming a distal tip. The coupling element is configured such that when the needle is contained within the housing sections, movement of the second housing section relative to the first housing section results in a bending of the needle at a location corresponding to the coupling element.

A needle bending assembly configured to at least temporarily contain a needle can include a first housing section, a second housing section, and a coupling element coupled between the first housing section and the second housing section. The first housing section defines a first cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a first section of the needle. The second housing section defines a second cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a second section of the needle forming a distal tip. The coupling element is configured such that when the needle is contained within the housing sections, movement of the second housing section relative to the first housing section results in a bending of the needle at a location corresponding to the coupling element.

A digitizer pointer is provided as part of a system for correcting a curvature or deformity in a patient's spine based on the digitized locations of implanted screws and tracking the placement of the rod as it is placed in a minimally invasive fashion. The digitizer pointer is includes an offset adjustment feature, a swivel feature, and a translation feature.

The invention relates to a method for induction bend forming a compression-resistant pipe (I) having a large wall thickness and a large diameter. According to said method, in an initial phase t1, an initial tangent (3) of the pipe (I) is heat-treated by pushing the initial tangent (3) through the inductor (20) without the intervention of the bending lock (31). At the end of the initial tangent (3) the advance of the pipe is stopped at a time t2, and the inductor (20) is moved along the pipe (I) counter to the advance direction while the bending lock (31) is closed on the pipe (I). In order to induce the bending process in a phase t3, the movement speed of the inductor (20) is reduced to zero and the latter is moved to its bending position. At the same time, the advance of the pipe (I) is started. In a phase t4, a pipe bend (4) is produced at a constant process advance speed of the pipe (I). In a phase t5, the advance speed of the pipe (I) is reduced and the inductor (20) is accelerated counter to the advance direction while the bending lock (31) is opened. In a phase t6, a final tangent (5) is heated by further advancing the inductor in the opposite direction.

The invention relates to a method for induction bend forming a compression-resistant pipe (I) having a large wall thickness and a large diameter. According to said method, in an initial phase t1, an initial tangent (3) of the pipe (I) is heat-treated by pushing the initial tangent (3) through the inductor (20) without the intervention of the bending lock (31). At the end of the initial tangent (3) the advance of the pipe is stopped at a time t2, and the inductor (20) is moved along the pipe (I) counter to the advance direction while the bending lock (31) is closed on the pipe (I). In order to induce the bending process in a phase t3, the movement speed of the inductor (20) is reduced to zero and the latter is moved to its bending position. At the same time, the advance of the pipe (I) is started. In a phase t4, a pipe bend (4) is produced at a constant process advance speed of the pipe (I). In a phase t5, the advance speed of the pipe (I) is reduced and the inductor (20) is accelerated counter to the advance direction while the bending lock (31) is opened. In a phase t6, a final tangent (5) is heated by further advancing the inductor in the opposite direction.

A mechanical rod bender is provided for correcting a curvature or deformity in a patient's spine based on the digitized locations of implanted screws and tracking the placement of the rod as it is placed in a minimally invasive fashion. The mechanical rod bender includes a fixed die and a movable die, the movable die having multiple rod contact channels to accommodate spinal rods of different sizes.