Computer-Aided Tool Design in Roll Forming

The current methods used for roll schedule selection rely heavily on the previous experience of the design engineer. This empirical design approach has been necessary as very little is known about the deformation induced in the sheet material during forming. Recently published research has provided some simple models to predict the deformation occurring in the sheet material during forming. This research has been used as a basis for developing a new schedule selection procedure for simple sections like channel, top-hat, and vee. This new procedure has been developed into a computer software package. The initial results obtained from this software are encouraging as the schedules produced by it compare favourably with those that have been empirically devised. A case study involving the manufacture of circular tubes has also been discussed with an emphasis on the implications of proper material selection.