Novel Straightening-Machine Design with Integrated Force Measurement for Straightening of High-Strength Flat Wire

In a punch-bending machine, wire products are manufactured for a wide range of industrial sectors, such as the electronics industry. The raw material for this process is flat wire made of high-strength steel. During the manufacturing process of the flat wire, residual stresses and plastic deformations are induced into the wire. These residual stresses and deformations fluctuate over the length of the semi-finished product and have a negative effect on the final product quality. Straightening machines are used to reduce this influence to a minimum. So far, the adjustment of a straightening machine has been performed manually, which is a lengthy and complex task even for an experienced worker. This inevitably leads to the use of inefficient straightening strategies and causes high rejection rates in the entire production process. Due to a lack of sensor information from the straightening operation, application of modern feedback control methods has not been practicable. This paper presents a novel design for a straightening machine with an integrated, precise straightening force measurement. By simultaneously monitoring the position of the straightening rollers, state variables of the straightening operation can be derived. Additionally, a tension control for feeding the flat wire is introduced. This is implemented to mitigate the disturbing effects caused by irregularities in the wire-feeding process. In the results of this article, the high precision of the developed force measurement design and its possible applications are shown.