Heating apparatus for a glass-sheet bending station

A heating apparatus for glass sheet bending station, comprising:

• an array of heating elements including two or more heating element fields positioned successively in a longitudinal direction of said heating elements, said two or more heating element fields being formed by heating elements positioned side by side such that the heating element fields are adapted to form a heat exchange area covering an area to be bent of a glass sheet, said heating elements being separately and independently controllable to be switched on and off;
• a control mechanism including means for selectively switching individual heating elements on and off in successive heating element fields so as to form different heat exchange areas that each generally covers the area to be bent of the glass sheet and that each extends at a different angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the heating elements.