"Robot-based forming of complex sheet metal parts for small batch production"

The market is increasingly demanding greater speed and flexibility in developing new products with an even greater trend towards individualisation. Particularly in the classic process of sheet metal forming, manufacturing initial sample parts or components with an increasing variety of variants - entailing small part quantities - is associated with very high costs.

Roboforming puts into practice the idea of "from the CAD model to the individual sheet metal part". This solution entirely dispenses with component-specific additional elements such as expensive forming dies, and generates any required sheet metal geometries on a user-programmable basis. In this way, prototype parts can be manufactured cost-effectively and, above all, within the shortest possible time. This is an unbeatable advantage compared to all previously known processes. Necessary adaptations or changes to the prototype part can easily be implemented by correcting the data on the PC. There is no need for any complicated adaptation to the forming die whatsoever.

The process is based on the principle of a user-programmable controller for two industrial robots running synchronously with the material flow. A tool mandrel with a simple shape is moved circular over the inside surface of the sheet metal blank, and moves in incremental stepts to achieve the final geometry. At the same time, a counterholding tool supports the sheet metal whilst following the tool mandrel on the reverse side of the component that is clamped at the edges.

For more information please visit www.roboforming.de.