Integration of high power lasers in bending tools

The integration of high power lasers into bending tools creates a possibility to bend brittle materials with conventional presses. A diode laser, which is based on 200W-laser-bars and a solid state laser with 3 kW are used in this work. By heating the material within a narrow zone the ductility is increased and the forming process can be enabled. The assembly of the heat source within the bending tools is a prerequisite in order to feed energy into the workpiece before, during and after the forming process. As a result the heating and forming process can be optimized regarding any material.