Methods for controlling a manufacturing operation, automated manufacturing methods and corresponding data processing apparatuses

A computer-implemented method of controlling a manufacturing operation of a physical three-dimensional product from a two-dimensional sheet material, the method comprising:

• obtaining material diagnostic data relating to said two-dimensional sheet material;
• analyzing, or otherwise evaluating, the obtained material diagnostic data to produce material characteristics data;
• obtaining information related to a desired three-dimensional design of a product to be manufactured by the manufacturing operation;
• producing a digital model of said product, the digital model being based on said material characteristics data and said desired three-dimensional design of the product, wherein said digital model is a digital representation of a physical object to be manufactured;
• and
• generating a control signal to cause said manufacturing operation to be carried out by a manufacturing equipment, the control signal being based on said digital model and being configured to cause the manufacturing equipment to carry out a material reshaping operation on a two-dimensional sheet material to form said physical three-dimensional product in accordance with the digital model.