The present invention is directed towards an automated bending device for bending a strip of material into a desired shape. The device is either a single or dual bending tool with interchangeable rotating bending dies which allows for a faster transition from a break bend to a radius bend using air cylinders for positioning of the tools.

An apparatus and method are disclosed for the automated manufacture of a duct flange profile to make small duct fittings, including a TDF duct flange profile. The duct flange profile is directed to small part duct fittings with section widths up to about 16 inches in 20 to 26 gauge metal. The apparatus includes a bending head assembly having a drive roller, a pressure roller, an anvil and a bending leaf and a roll form assembly.

The bending machine (100) has an upper beam (211) and a lower beam (212), each of the beams (211, 212) having a clamping element extending therefrom adapted for clamping an elongated flat sheet metal workpiece (218) with a portion extending from the machine in cantilever fashion. Bending tool carriers (221, 222) having a bending tool (223, 224) extending therefrom are movable relative to the beams so that the bending tool (223, 224) can extend and pivot to form an elongated bend in the workpiece (218). A plurality of wedges (251, 252)are selectively extendable between the beams (211, 212) and the carriers (221, 222) to provide uniform depth of the bend in the workpiece (218) along the length of the bend, the depth of extension being adjustable with ball screws (261, 262) attached to synchro or servomotors (265, 266).

Tools for punching machines for reshaping at least one portion of a plate-shaped workpiece are described. The tools have a first tool portion that includes a first device configured to be held in a first tool holder of the punching machine and a bending stamp having a bending edge and a second tool portion including a second device configured to be held in a second tool holder of the punching machine and a bending roller configured to cooperate with the bending stamp to reshape the plate-shaped workpiece. The bending roller is rotatable around a rotation axis running parallel to the bending edge. The bending roller includes a sector-shaped notch formed along the rotation axis and formed, at least in part, by first and second bending shank edges. The bending roller includes a plurality of second bending segments positioned on the rotation axis to rotate about the rotation axis.

Installations and methods for forming at least one corner region in metal plate are disclosed. According to one implementation, the corner region is formed in the intersection between a first section and a second section of the metal plate. The corner region is formed by a bending of the first section of the metal plate followed by a bending of the second section. During the bending of the second section at least the region of the first section closest to the corner region is held immobile. The region of the first section is released once the bending of the second section is complete.

The invention relates to a bending press (3) and to a method for bending sheet metal in relation to a work piece (2). The bending press (3) comprises a machine frame (7) on which lower and upper clamping jaws (5, 6) are arranged, having first and second reshaping edges. A bending tool (41) having a bending edge (42) is arranged on a bending bar (43). The bending tool (41) is mounted about a swivel axis (46) such that same can swivel. The swivel axis (46) can be moved into both a position above and a position below a work piece contact plane (40). In a position above the work piece contact plane (40), the bending edge (42) is oriented down-wards in the direction of a first reshaping edge, and in a position below the work piece contact plane (40), said bending edge is oriented upwards in the direction of the second reshaping edge. The invention also relates to a method for reshaping, in particular bending, sheet metal in relation to a work piece (2).

A method for making a bent razor blade is disclosed. The method includes: providing an elongated strip of stainless steel that can be 0.076 mm thick; hardening the strip; providing a cutting edge along an edge of the strip and providing coating(s) on the cutting edge. The stainless steel has a carbon content less than 0.60% and preferably between 0.45% and 0.55% by weight. The strip is separated lengthwise into discrete razor blades. The bent portion of the razor blade is then formed using a swivel bending process.

A tool for machining a planar workpiece, comprising an upper tool having a clamping shaft and an upper main body that lie on a common positioning axis, a tool body arranged opposite to the clamping shaft on the upper main body, the tool body comprising a bending edge, and a lower tool having a lower main body that receives a rotational body that is rotatable around an axis of rotation running in a direction of the bending edge of the tool body, wherein the upper tool and the lower tool are movable towards and away from each other in a stroke direction for machining the workpiece arranged therebetween, and wherein the upper main body defines a projection surface that is perpendicular to the positioning axis and the bending edge of the tool body is adjacent tangentially to the projection surface or is outside the projection surface.

A combined device for bending and cutting ribbon-shaped elements is described, comprising first guiding and supporting means (1, 101) adapted to allow positioning a ribbon-shaped element (T, T1), second guiding and supporting means (3, 103) adapted to prevent the rotation of the ribbon-shaped element (T, T1) with respect to an axis belonging to a plane on which the ribbon-shaped element (T, T1) rests, first translating means (41, 1041) and rotation means (4, 104) adapted to move a tool (5, 105) with respect to the second guiding and supporting means (3, 103); the second guiding and supporting means (3, 103) comprise a portion of bending profile (8, 108) adapted to bend the ribbon-shaped element (T, T1) and a portion of cutting profile (9, 109) adapted to cut the ribbon-shaped element (T, T1). A method is further described for bending and cutting ribbon-shaped elements performed through such device.

Method for providing sheet metal pieces, which are arranged at least in part side-by-side on a planar deposition surface, for drawing into a sheet metal bending machine by means of a side drawing-in device which is arranged on the sheet metal bending machine, wherein the side drawing-in device includes a pick-up device that is movable into the sheet metal bending machine and is intended for picking up a sheet metal piece to be drawn into the sheet metal bending machine at a pick-up position above the deposition surface that can be approached by the pick-up device.