METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A BENT PRODUCT AND AN APPARATUS AND A CONTINUOUS LINE FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

Provided are a working method and an apparatus for bending a metallic mat erial three-dimensionally. A bending method for bending a metallic material supported by support means, downstream of the support means, while feeding t he same from the upstream to the downstream is used to manufacture a bent pr oduct having a three-dimensionally bent portion and a hardened portion inter mittently. The metallic material is partially heated downstream of the suppo rt means by metallic material heating means, and the position of a movable r oller die having a plurality of rolls arranged downstream of the heating mea ns for feeding the metallic material heated by the heating means in the axia l direction is three-dimensionally changed to bend that portion of the metal lic material, which is heated by the heating means, by applying a bending mo ment to that portion. The portion heated by the heating means is hardened by blowing a cooling medium by cooling means arranged between the heating mean s and the movable roller die. The metallic material is supported at its port ion having left the movable roller die, thereby to suppress the error of the bent product.