Analysis of incremental die bending of wires and tubes

Abstract

AbstractThe use of bent wires, tubes, and profiles has a broad application in the industry as it is based on a great number of possible applications. Both structures with a high light-weight construction potential as well as functional and aesthetic geometry can be realised expediently. Known processes are often limited in case of tight radii and complex bending contours that cut each other or that are similar to a loop. The so called incremental die bending provides the remedy. It is an innovative process for the production of complexly shaped workpieces in the form of bent wires, tubes, or profiles. The bending process in case of incremental die bending is different to conventional processes, since a die is reshaped. With this process the semi-product is put into a hard bending shape by a moving feeding unit. The process is very accurate and at the same time cost-effective, since almost any bending contours can be produced form-based in one working stage. Furthermore, the die geometry enables the manufacture of contours that were previously very work-intensive or not producible at all.