Method and device for producing bent spring elements

A method for producing bent spring elements from a spring steel strip (14), the method comprising providing a device with a feed unit (16) delivering the spring steel strip (14) from a supply roll (12) to a bending unit (32) having at least three bending rollers (34) and a reverse bending roller (36), of which at least one bending roller (34) and the reverse bending roller (36) can be adjusted transversely with respect to the spring steel strip (14) by bending roller movement devices, and with the bending unit (32) being connected to a cutting unit (44) which cuts the spring steel strip (14) into individual spring elements by means of cutting tools (46, 48;

• 76, 78), characterized in that the cutting tools (46, 48;
• 76, 78) can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the spring steel strip (14) in a numerically controlled fashion and are synchronized with the feed movement of the spring steel strip (14) during the cutting process, the cutting unit (44) having an upper cutting tool (46) and a lower cutting tool (48), between which the spring steel strip (14) is guided, the cutting tools (46, 48;
• 76, 78) being adjustable relative to the spring steel strip (14) in the longitudinal direction (52) of the feed movement of said spring steel strip (14), and using an electronic control unit (42) to synchronize the adjusting movement of said cutting tools (46, 48;
• 76, 78) with the feed movement of the spring steel strip (14) during the cutting process, wherein some guide rollers (50) in the region of the cutting tools (46, 48;
• 76, 78) can be varied in terms of their position with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction (52) in such a way that their spacings to one another are increased or decreased as a function of the movement of the cutting tools (46, 48;
• 76, 78) in the longitudinal direction (52).