METHOD OF BENDING A METAL PLATE

A plate workpiece having an edge is bent with a press having a stationary upper die with a lower face and a vertically and horizontally movable lower die with an upper face. With the upper face of the lower die spaced below the lower face of the upper die, the workpiece is fitted between the dies such that the edge of the plate bears in a horizontal direction on the upper face of the lower die and an upper face of the plate bears upward on a portion of the lower face of the upper die. Then the lower die is moved vertically upward toward the upper die at a predetermined vertical rate while the lower die is shifted horizontally synchronously in the direction at a predetermined horizontal rate such that the plate edge engaging the lower-die upper face does not shift there along during upward movement.