Apparatus and method for producing a bent laminate

A method of producing a bent laminate having at least two continuous flexible laminations comprising the steps of:

• clamping together the laminations at spaced apart clamping locations and at a clamping force permitting mutual sliding movement of the laminations;
• bending the layers between the clamping locations to a radius of curvature larger than a desired radius of curvature;
• increasing the clamping force at the clamping locations to prevent the mutual sliding movement;
• and
• further bending the layers to the desired radius of curvature so that the laminations are forced against each other at an even pressure along the curvature, the laminations being of sufficient strength to withstand the pressure created.

A method of producing a bent laminate having at least two continuous, flexible laminations, comprising the steps of:

• clamping the laminations to a pressure band at spaced apart clamping locations and at a clamping force permitting mutual sliding movement of the laminations and the pressure band;
• bending the laminations and the pressure band between the clamping locations to a radius of curvature larger than a desired radius of curvature;
• increasing the clamping force at the clamping locations to prevent the mutual sliding movement of the laminations and the pressure band;
• and
• further bending the layers to the desired radius of curvature so that the pressure band is forced against the laminations between the clamping locations at an evenly distributed pressure force, the laminations being of sufficient strength to withstand the pressure created.

A method of producing a bent laminate having at least two flexible laminations, comprising the steps of:

• clamping the laminations between a pair of pressure bands at spaced apart clamping locations and at a clamping force permitting a mutual sliding movement of the pressure bands;
• bending the laminations and the pressure bands between the clamping locations to a radius of curvature larger than a desired radius of curvature;
• increasing the clamping force at the clamping locations to prevent the mutual sliding movement of the pressure bands;
• and
• further bending the laminations and the pressure bands to the desired radius of curvature so that the pressure bands are forced against each other and compress the layers between the clamping locations at an evenly distributed pressure force.