Manufacturing method for pipe structure

Abstract

A manufacturing method for a pipe structure includes a pipe bending step for implementing for a plurality of times a bending process of bending a part of a straight pipe by wrapping the part around a peripheral surface of a rolling block to form a plurality of bend portions in intermediate locations along a longitudinal direction of the pipe. When a final bending process is implemented during the pipe bending step, a position of a rear end portion of the pipe is determined, and relative positions of the pipe and the rolling block in a predetermined y direction are controlled on the basis of the position of the rear end portion so that after the bending process, a y-direction position of the rear end portion is aligned with a y-direction position of the front end portion. According to this configuration, complicated operations such as cutting the respective end portions of the pipe after bending the pipe can be eliminated, and a pipe structure such as a meandering pipe body in which the positions of the respective end portions are aligned can be manufactured appropriately and with favorable productivity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.