Bending device and method for producing a wire mesh

A bending device for producing a wire netting, the wire netting comprising a plurality of helices which are braided with one another and of which at least one helix is made from at least one longitudinal element, having at least one wire that comprises high-tensile spring steel with a tensile strength of at least 800 N mm−2, the bending device comprising:

• at least one bending unit which is configured for processing the wire with the tensile strength of at least 800 N mm−2,
• wherein the bending device is configured to produce a helix blank having at least two curved legs and having at least one bend point that connects the curved legs by a bending of the longitudinal element, and has at least one guide worm and at least one braiding knife that is rotatable relative to the guide worm about a rotation axis, and
• a straightening unit which is configured for a straightening of the curved legs,
• wherein the straightening unit has at least one pressing element, which is movable perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the helix blank,
• wherein the straightening unit is configured for compressing the helix blank with the pressing element by an over-pressing of the curved legs in a pressing direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis,
• wherein a pressing surface of the pressing element is curved, and
• wherein the curved pressing surface is bulged in such a manner that different regions of a curved leg are bent and/or pressed, or are over-bent and/or over-pressed to a different extent.