System for bending profiles in 3D

The jury awarded the 2009 golden manus® to the Institut für Umformtechnik und Leichtbau at Dortmund Technical University. The submitted application is a system for bending metal profiles three-dimensionally. A new production procedure is used, which above all offers benefits with asymmetrical profile cross-sections. This avoids the typical turning of the cross-section during the bending process by swapping it with a twisting moment. The bending accuracy is also very high with this application.
The problem of the high loads on forming machines and the deformations caused by this was technically solved in the best way by using polymer plain bearings. The high strength and low-wear plain bearings, unlike with bearing bronze, even withstand bearing end pressure caused by bowing under load. With bearing diameters of up to 850 mm there is also a cost benefit compared to roller bearings.