Simulation and Prediction of Springback in Sheet Metal Bending Process Based on Embedded Control System

Abstract

Amidst the accelerating pace of automation in sheet metal bending, the need for small-batch, multi-varietal, efficient, and adaptable production modalities has become increasingly pronounced. To address this need and to enhance the efficacy of the bending process, this study presents the design and development of an embedded soft PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) rooted in the Codesys development platform and leveraging the ARM Cortex-A55 architecture. This controller employs the EtherCAT communication protocol to facilitate seamless and efficient interactions with fully electric servo-driven CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) bending machinery. To mitigate the challenge of bending springback errors, a finite element simulation model is constructed and refined through the application of ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) adaptive grid technology, thereby bolstering simulation precision. Subsequently, an enhanced WOA-BP (Whale Optimization Algorithm—Backpropagation) model, integrating Latin hypercube sampling and neural network techniques, is deployed to anticipate and counteract these springback errors. Experimental outcomes demonstrate that the proposed methodology effectively constrains the final forming angle deviation to within 0.3°, significantly enhancing the reliability and precision of the bending system. This achievement not only underscores the technical feasibility but also contributes to advancing the frontier of sheet metal bending automation.