A device for determining an angle between two workpiece surfaces, comprising a transmitter for producing a light beam, a continuously rotating directional rotor for emitting the produced light beam in a rotating emission direction perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the directional rotor, a receiver for receiving a reflected light beam when the emitted light beam is reflected antiparallel to the emission direction by one of the two workpiece surfaces, an emission angle sensor unit for determining emission angles of the emitted light beam at which the receiver receives the reflected light beam, a calibrating unit for determining at least calibration parameters, a memory unit for storing the calibration parameters and an error model, and an evaluation unit configured to determine the angle as a function of the determined emission angles of the light beam emitted by the directional rotor, the stored calibration parameters and the stored error model.

The invention relates to a tool storage system (32) as well as to a production facility (1) for free-form bending of workpieces (2) made from a metal sheet, by means of a bending press (3), comprising a tool storage unit (30), a tool manipulation unit (31), and a provisioning unit (55) having provisioning rails (56, 57). The tool storage unit (30) has an upper and lower storage rail (34, 35), which are disposed spaced apart from one another at a vertical distance, as well as locally fixed in place relative to one another. The tool manipulation unit (31) has tool manipulation devices (36, 37), wherein each of the same comprises a working rail (38, 42), an auxiliary rail (39, 43), a drawing-in device (40, 44), as well as a pushing-out device (41, 45). Each of the tool manipulation devices (36, 37) can be displaced laterally next to the storage rails (34, 35), along a longitudinal guide arrangement (46, 47). Furthermore, the invention also comprises a method for manipulation of at least one bending tool (4) in such a tool storage system (32).

A press brake machine for bending metal having an angle measurement system. The angle measurement system having at least one angle measurement device configured to measure the bend characteristics of the workpiece. The angle measurement device including an actuator, a position sensor, and a contact segment. The actuator of the measurement device is configured to abut the contact segment to the workpiece. The position sensor is configured to send data to a press brake controller to adjust the bending of the workpiece depending on the reading of the angle measurement device.

A bending angle measuring device has an illumination device with at least one light source and an optical detector with a light-detecting surface. On the bending angle measuring device is arranged at least one axisymmetric body with a reflecting surface. A central axis of the axisymmetric body is arranged such that it is aligned parallel to the bending edge. A first light beam transmitted by the illumination device is reflected from the sheet metal part and as a second light beam is directed onto the axisymmetric body. The second light beam is reflected on the axisymmetric body, and as a third light beam is directed onto the optical detector, in particular onto its light-detecting surface.

A crowning method applied to a press brake including an upper table and a lower table as being vertically opposed to each other and including first slits opened in right and left directions on both right and left sides of the upper table or the lower table, is by deforming end sides of upper portions or lower portions of the first slits of the upper table or the lower table upward or downward to carry out a crowning regulation.

The invention relates to a tool storage system (32) as well as to a production facility (1) for free-form bending of workpieces (2) made from a metal sheet, by means of a bending press (3), comprising a tool storage unit (30), a tool manipulation unit (31), and a provisioning unit (55) having provisioning rails (56, 57). The tool storage unit (30) has an upper and lower storage rail (34, 35), which are disposed spaced apart from one another at a vertical distance, as well as locally fixed in place relative to one another. The tool manipulation unit (31) has tool manipulation devices (36, 37), wherein each of the same comprises a working rail (38, 42), an auxiliary rail (39, 43), a drawing-in device (40, 44), as well as a pushing-out device (41, 45). Each of the tool manipulation devices (36, 37) can be displaced laterally next to the storage rails (34, 35), along a longitudinal guide arrangement (46, 47). Furthermore, the invention also comprises a method for manipulation of at least one bending tool (4) in such a tool storage system (32).

A pneumatic plug gauge has been developed in the context of the invention. This plug gauge comprises a first measuring channel which can be connected to a pressure medium source and opens into a first outlet for the pressure medium, which outlet can be directed to a surface of the workpiece to be tested. According to the invention, this plug gauge is designed to determine the tilt angle between a section on the surface thereof and a region opposite this section on the surface of the workpiece by virtue of the first outlet being arranged at one end of the section and at least one second outlet being provided, which second outlet is arranged at the other end of the section. It has been recognized that the admittedly high precision of pneumatic length measurements can be converted in a particularly advantageous manner to high precision of the angle measurement in this manner. The tilt angle can be measured at least with an accuracy of less than one tenth of a degree. At the same time, the measurement is fast enough for 100% control in mass production. The plug gauge is the central element in the measuring system and in the method, to which the invention likewise relates.

An apparatus for the support and the controlled advancement of a sheet in a bending machine for forming a cylindrical or conical structure, in particular of a truncated cone structure, comprises a base structural frame adapted to be positioned upstream of said bending machine, with respect to an advancement direction of the sheet, a plurality of conveying modules which can be mounted, removable, on the structural frame so as to generate a plan of modular support and advancement which can be configured geometrically according to the shape and dimensions of the sheet to be produced; the modular support and advancement plane is geometrically configured to keep the sheet metal part supported by the plane in a flat condition; an lifting and tilting device configured to vary the position of the structural frame, supporting the conveying modules, from a horizontal lying position to an inclined lying position in which the support and advancement plane is inclined downwards towards the bending machine; repositioning and position correcting members configured to orient and arrange the sheet in a correct position before starting a bending cycle and configured to correct, during the bending cycle, the position of the sheet to impose it a predetermined advancement trajectory towards and through the bending machine. The relative method is also envisaged.

A press forming method according to the present invention includes: a first forming step of forming the press formed part by using the first press forming tool having a line length in the cross-sectional direction of the joining portion contacting with a flange portion subjected to stretch flange deformation or a flange portion subjected to shrink flange deformation is a line length L.sub.1 in the cross-sectional direction that is shorter than a line length L.sub.2, where the line length L.sub.2 is a line length in a cross-sectional direction of the joining portion of the second press forming tool for making the product shape; and a second forming step of forming the press formed part in the product shape by crash forming by using the second press forming tool in which the line length in the cross-sectional direction of the joining portion is L.sub.2.

Provided is a method for forming a blank, the method being capable of improving both yields and formability. The method for forming a blank 1 includes forming the blank 1 into a preforming shape by plastic deformation and then plastically deforming the blank 1 from the preforming shape into a final shape. The preforming shape is determined so that, in each of cross sections in the final shape, the ratio (L1/L0) of a cross-sectional line length L1 in the preforming shape to a cross-sectional line length L0 in the final shape in the same cross section position falls within a predetermined tolerance range.