Contouring of metal sheets

Abstract

An apparatus for contouring plastically deformable sheet material comprises a pair of opposed indexable turret assemblies (2, 3) each including a plurality of shaping rollers (4) comprising either solid rollers (30, 31) or split rollers (32, 33). Opposed shaping rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) respectively have generally complementary convexly and concavely shaped circumferential profiles (30a, 31a). Upper turret assembly (3) is displaceable relative to lower turret assembly (2) by means of a fluid powered ram (10) under the control of displacement measuring means (18) and/or pressure sensing means 911). The apparatus is controlled by a microprocessor (20) which determines from stored data the optimum combination of rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) and rolling pressure in ram (10) to achieve the required sheet material deformation and to ensure that the transverse area of contact between the rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) and the sheet material to be deformed does not fall below a length to width ratio of 3:1. Video camera (28) are used to monitor alignment of sheet material and rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) and should any deviation occur then signals from video cameras (28) are processed by the microprocessor (20) to correct the forming mode.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.