The sequential bending process, used to make parts with simple curvatures, involves a series of often overlapping three-point bends to produce the desired curvature profile. The objective of this work is to develop a bending model and an optimization algorithm that together synthesize the best sequence of bends, thereby reducing the rework iterations. The analytical beam model developed accounts for non-flat initial geometry, residual stresses and strain-hardening of the overlapping bend material. The synthesis of bends is formulated as an optimal control problem that minimizes the curvature errors at specified points, and solved by an optimization package. Results are presented for forming parts with constant curvature.
| Number of Pages : | 6 |
| Published : | 11/01/1998 |
