Importance

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Abstract

A substantially two-dimensional sheet material is configured for bending along a bend line to form a three-dimensional article. The sheet material includes a sheet of elastically and plastically deformable material, one portion of the sheet material located on one side of the bend line and another portion located on the opposing side of the bend line, one portion being displaced relative to the another portion in the direction of the thickness of the sheet material, and/or a plurality of shear lengths extending along the bend line separating the one and another portions of the sheet material. At least a pair of adjacent shear lengths define a strap interconnecting the one and another portions of the sheet material. A tooling assembly is configured for forming the bend-controlling straps and includes a punch assembly and a die assembly dimensioned and configured to move relative to one another, a punch block having a continuous shear edge, the punch block removably secured on the punch assembly, and/or a die block having an interrupted shear edge broken into shear edge segments by one or more recesses, the die block removably mounted on the die assembly, wherein moving one of the punch assembly and the die assembly toward the other, the continuous shear edge of the punch block cooperates with the shear edge segments for impart shear lengths upon the sheet material along the predetermined bend line. A method of using the tooling assembly and forming the sheet material is also described.

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First Claim