Patent ID: 8181499

Claim:
A method for roll-forming from a plane sheet metal strip successively in a number of forming stations ( 11 , 12 ) a hat beam with a profile that varies along its length, having a central flange ( 13 ), two webs ( 14 , 15 ) and two side flanges ( 16 , 17 ); the steps of said method comprising: clamping the portions of the metal sheet to be formed as the side flanges ( 16 , 17 ) in the forming stations ( 11 , 12 ) between a pair of clamping rollers ( 21 , 22 ; 23 , 24 ) and forming all four corners ( 27 - 30 ) of the hat beam at the same time between two pairs of said clamping rollers ( 21 , 22 and 23 , 24 ) and at least one support roller ( 25 , 26 ) for forming the central flange ( 13 ), wherein the forming of all four corners of the hat beam at the same time between two pairs of said clamping rollers and at least one support roller for forming the central flange comprises folding the corners on peripheral edges of the clamping rollers, and on peripheral edges of the support rollers, such that the entire webs are extending freely between the respective corners, and displacing at least one of the pairs of clamping rollers and the at least one support roller during the forming process for changing the profile of the hat beam.