Bending apparatus

A hot-state or warm state bending apparatus characterized by comprising

• a feed mechanism for a metal blank, which is constituted by a first industrial robot,
• a first support mechanism fixed at a first position downstream of the feed mechanism in a feeding direction for the metal blank,
• a heating mechanism disposed at a second position which is located downstream of the first position in the feeding direction,
• a cooling mechanism fixed at a third position which is located downstream of the second position in the feeding direction,
• a second support mechanism disposed at a fourth position which is located downstream of the third position in the feeding direction, and
• a deformation preventing mechanism disposed at a fifth position which is located downstream of the fourth position in the feeding direction:
• the metal blank being hollow and having a closed cross section and in its lengthwise the metal blank being fed,
• the feed mechanism feeding the metal blank in the feeding direction,
• the first support mechanism supporting the metal blank while feeding it in the feeding direction,
• the heating mechanism heating a part or all of the fed metal blank while the metal blank is being fed through the heating mechanism,
• the cooling mechanism cooling the portion of the fed metal blank which has been heated by the heating mechanism while the metal blank is being fed through the cooling mechanism,
• the second support mechanism imparting a bending moment to the heated portion of the metal blank by moving two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting the fed metal blank in at least one location of the metal blank, thereby processing the metal blank so as to be bent into a required shape, and
• the deformation preventing mechanism preventing deformation of the fed and shaped metal blank by gripping the metal blank to support the shaped metal blank so that deformation caused not only by a weight of the shaped metal blank, but also by stress introduced when cooling the metal blank, can be prevented while the shaped metal blank being fed through the supporting mechanism.