Control of the flexible automation of metal forming

Pressbrake bending and multibending are two metal-forming processes that can produce a wide variety of parts with fixed tooling. An overview of the technology for producing such parts emphasizing the control issues is presented. Closed-loop control of these processes is essential to maintaining accuracy and to minimizing the setup time for a new part. Moreover, the control algorithms used must incorporate physically sound models of the process. Some recent research aimed at better controls for pressbrake bending and multibending is outlined