High Accurate V-Bending with Model-Based Control

Abstract

An application of a model-based control system to the V-bending process is studied. Since the accuracy of the products is affected by the scatter of the material characteristics, the accuracy should be improved if the punch stroke is adjusted properly according to the identified material properties for each workpiece during the process. A simulation of V-bending process is first performed to investigate the deformation behaviour of the material in bending and the effect of the scatter of the material properties on the deformation. The model used in the simulation is then utilized in the control system to calculate the punch stroke. A bending apparatus is built and the identification of the material properties is performed on-line to cope with the scatter. It is experimentally verified that the products with higher accuracy are obtained by the newly developed process than by the process without the model-based control.