Research approaches enabling transformability for the metal forming industry

In recent years manufacturers are faced with ever increasing volatile markets. To be able to react to new market situations, manufacturers need to develop production systems that are adaptable to these changes. In order to support research efforts concerning this challenge the Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) is funding joint projects of companies and research institutes. This paper describes the problems that the sheet metal forming industry is currently facing due to the market turbulences, how the BMBF-funded research project “Formäleon'' will enable transformability in the sheet metal forming industry and the first results in the development of a new adaptive control system.