Automatic Rule Processor

Automatic rule processors were already standard before the first automatic bending machines entered global markets. Japanese manufacturers like Laserc, Ideon, Suntex and Tsukatani were pioneers in this field, followed by European companies such as Elcede and Serviform. A rule processor handles all the essential tasks for preparing steel rule dies, including straight cutting, lipping, notching, and adding bending marks. These marks guide the steel rule die-maker on where to position the rule on manual or pedal-operated bending tools to complete the bending process. The automation comes from using a continuous coil instead of individual one-meter-pieces, but the real key is the software, which calculates how much a specific type of steel rule will stretch—by a certain percentage—during bending.