Three-dimensionally bending machine, bending equipment line, and bent product

Abstract

A three-dimensionally bending machine comprises a supporting unit to support a workpiece and a feeding unit to feed the workpiece from an upstream side of the workpiece. A heating and cooling unit, provided around the outer circumference of a portion of the workpiece downstream of said supporting unit heats the portion of workpiece in a temperature range for plastic deformation and quenches and rapidly cools the deformed workpiece. A three-dimensionally movable unit, provided downstream of said heating and cooling unit, supports the metal material and controls the supporting position and/or the moving speed of the metal material to apply the bending moment in association with a feed amount, a heating amount, and a cooling amount of the workpiece. Even when a high-strength workpiece is bent, a workpiece having excellent shape fixability and uniform hardness distribution can be made, especially for application to sophisticated automobile parts.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A bent product as being subjected to a thermomechanical treatment by virtue of using a metal material bending machine, having a tensile strength of 900 MPa or more, the metal material bending machine comprising;
 a feeding unit for successively or continuously feeding a workpiece from an upstream side of the workpiece;   a supporting unit for supporting the workpiece;   a heating and cooling unit that is provided around the outer circumference of a portion of workpiece and is provided at a downstream side of said supporting unit, both for use in heating a portion of workpiece in a temperature range which allows the heated portion to be locally plastically deformed and which allows quenching to be performed, and for use in subsequently rapidly cooling down the heated portion after a bending moment is applied thereto; and   a three-dimensionally movable unit that is provided at the downstream side of said heating and cooling unit, for use in clamping the workpiece, and controlling the clamping position and/or the moving speed of the workpiece so as to apply the bending moment in association with a feed amount of the workpiece by said feeding unit and a heating amount and a cooling amount of the workpiece by said heating and cooling unit.