Automated press brake or bending machine for bending metal sheet material and method for bending metal sheet material with such an automated press brake or bending machine

An automated press brake or bending machine for bending a workpiece of metal sheet material over one or more required fold lengths and the automated press brake or bending machine having a length, comprising:

• a table with a single lower tool holder for receiving bottom tools forming one or several dies and the lower tool holder having a length;
• a movable beam or ram with a single upper tool holder for receiving top tools forming one or several punches or folding knives and the upper tool holder having a length;
• driving means for moving and arranging the bottom tools and/or the top tools on the upper and lower tool holders;
• and,
• a control unit for controlling the driving means;
• whereby the one or several dies and the one or several punches or folding knives each have a shape of a tool segment with a width and can be moved back and forth over the length of the respective upper tool holder or the respective lower tool holder, wherein the driving means are integrated in the table and/or ram to move and arrange the bottom tools and/or the top tools respectively and whereby the driving means are such that several tool segments can be simultaneously controlled to make the multiple tool segments undergo a movement, simultaneously and independently from one another, along the upper and lower tool holders, in order to group several tool segments together into an assembled set of tool segments having a width in accordance with a required fold length for making a fold in the workpiece to be processed, whereby several such tool segments are placed next to one another in the length of the press brake or bending machine so as to form such an assembled set of tool segments with which a workpiece of metal sheet material can be folded.