Because of the name, there’s confusion between these two machines. While each machine turns a flange on the edge of metal, one works only on a flat piece of metal while the other works only on an already formed round pipe edge. Therefore when it comes to their function in a sheet metal shop, these are two completely different machines.
Flangers: Manual and Power
The Power Flanger works only on flat—and it’s also referred to as an edger. In its manual version it’s a Lockformer Easy Edger or Flagler Hand Flanger. It turns a 90 degree Flange on a curved or straight edge of a flat piece of metal.
Flagler Power Flanger turning Male Pittsburgh Flange on a Radius Elbow Cheek
The use of this machine is solely for Rectangular Duct Radius Fittings. It turns the 1/4” or 3/8” tall Male Pittsburgh Flange on each edge of each of the two cheeks of Radius Elbows prior to assembling the elbow by seating these two cheeks into the two edges of the female seam throat and heel.
Rotary Machine: Manual and Power
Rotary Machines only work on the ends of Round Pipe. But, unlike the Power Flanger, they are multifunctional machines. The Power Rotary Machine is very much the same machine as it’s manual version, the Pexto 622 Rotary Machine—one of the very oldest machines in Duct Fabrication. These Rotary Machines by means of an upper Roll and a lower Roll, forms a profile on the end of Round Pipe.
Empire Power Rotary Machine forming a Vanstone Flange
In a shop making Spiral Pipe, it’s a required machine because it puts the stop bead (single bead) on the end of a round elbow or fitting. But for shops that do blowpipe work and Air Conveying systems its value is in the Flanging Rollset. Most popular is the 1/2” size but also available in 1/4”. This Rollset is one of several that can put installed on a Power Rotary Machine. The Flanging Rolls turn a 90 degree right angle on the end of round pipe that is being attached to another piece by means of Angle Iron Rings.
The Power Flanger does not work on the end of Round Pipe just as the Flanging Rolls mounted on a Power Rotary Machine will not work on the edge of a flat piece of metal.
