Development of Roll-Forming Technology With Gradual Cross-Sectional Change

As a process that enables the high-speed and continuous forming of lengthy materials with a constant cross-sectional configuration, roll forming offers much higher productivity than the stamping process. However, in case a change must be made to the shape of the cross section, the material must normally be stamped or joined with a part containing a separate shape. This affects productivity, increases the number of pieces, and degrades the material's appearance. This report describes the roll-forming technology that we developed, in which the cross section of the material can be changed gradually.

This method adopts a system which uses a movable and rotatable roll-stand that enables high-speed, continuous roll-forming processes. In addition, through this development effort, we established the following major elemental technologies: the variable-width roll-slit technology, the high-precision partial-constraint roll-forming technology, and the conception of roll-forming with a gradual cross-sectional change.