From Panels to Smart Factories Engineering the Next Leap in Sheet Metal

1) Briefly introduce your company and outline the key metal forming machines, technologies, or solutions you offer to the sheet metal industry. 

LVD is a world leader in the design and manufacture of sheet metal fabrication equipment with one of the most comprehensive product offerings in the industry. LVD products provide metalworking solutions to improve production processes and advance the Smart Factory. 

Established in 1952, headquartered in Gullegem, Belgium, LVD is a family-owned business managed by the second and third generations of the founding families, Lefebvre, Van Neste and Dewulf. 

India is a strategic market for the company. LVD operates a manufacturing facility in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra to support its “Made in India” initiative where we manufacture Panel Benders for the world market and LaserTWO fiber lasers for the Indian market. 

Key product offerings empower Indian manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, electrical enclosures, clean rooms, steel office furniture and HVAC sectors to meet growing demands for customization and efficiency: 

• · Panel benders for automated bending of panels up to 3.2 meters. Panel bending technology reduces setup times and enables high-volume production without tooling changes. 
• · Press brakes in a range of electric and hydraulic models from cost-efficient machines, multi-axis press brakes, automated bending cells, award-winning Synchro-Form for XXL applications, as well as turnkey custom designs and LVD tooling. LVD is a bending technology leader. 
• · Laser cutting machines feature fiber laser technology for speed, accuracy and power capacity up to 30 kW to cut thin to thick materials in low-cost to XXL large-format machines for flat sheet or tube cutting. 
• · Automation systems with modular flexibility from load/unload to comprehensive tower and warehousing units for automated material handling and streamlined workflow. 
• · Software integration with CADMAN® software – LVD’s answer to full process integration and optimized “art to part” process flow.  

(2) What are the standout machines or systems in your portfolio, and how do they address current challenges such as productivity, precision, automation, or cost efficiency? 

LVD’s standout products for the Indian market include Multifold panel benders. These fully automatic machines process panels up to 3.2 meters, reducing set up time by 80% over comparable systems to allow lights-out manufacturing. 

Other noteworthy LVD products for the Indian market, which are supported by Multifold’s local service team in India, include: 

Easy-Form® press brakes featuring LVD’s Easy-Form Laser adaptive bending technology. Easy-Form compensates for material variations in real-time to ensure consistent bends across batches, directly addressing quality demands in high-mix production.  

LaserTWO laser cutting machine delivers the speed and cost-efficiency of fiber laser cutting technology in a no-nonsense machine that’s affordable, and reliable.  

Integrated systems with robotic load/unload options boost throughput by 50% or more, automating material flow to cut labor costs and minimize downtime in labor-intensive Indian shops.  

CADMAN-B software suite optimizes nesting and programming offline, reducing scrap rates and raw material waste by 20-30%, critical for cost control with fluctuating steel prices.  

(3) What key trends do you see shaping the global and Indian metal forming and sheet metal industry today (e.g., automation, digitalization, sustainability, smart factories)? 

Key trends overall include accelerated automation, digitalization via AI and IoT, sustainability through lightweight materials and recycling, and the rise of smart factories for increased throughput. 

Globally, automation is evolving from robotic helpers (cobots) to full production cells integrating cutting, bending, and assembly, boosting OEE and addressing labor shortages. AI-driven quality control and digital twins enable real-time process optimization, reducing scrap and enabling on-demand prototyping for agile customization. Sustainability pushes recyclable alloys and energy-efficient processes, fuelled by regulations for EVs. 

The Indian market is projected to grow at 3.1% CAGR to USD 9.5 billion by 2031, with automotive expansion, infrastructure booms, and urbanization demanding durable sheet metal components. Local adoption of automation addresses the skilled labor gap, while government manufacturing incentives like PLI schemes accelerate Smart Factory transitions amid rising EV and construction needs. Digital tools and lightweight materials align with export growth and cost pressures from volatile raw material prices. 

(4) What recent innovations, new products, or technological solutions has your company launched in the past few years? How do these offerings add value to customers? 

LVD has launched a number of new products in the past few years, of note are the LaserTWO laser cutting machine and a series of configurable robotised automatic bending solutions (RBS – Robotic Bending Systems).  

The LaserTWO offers modular 3-12 kW configurations for cost-efficient – high-performance cutting on sheets up to 3050 x 1525 mm, LaserTWO provides low operating costs, low cost of ownership and reliable processing of diverse materials.  

Multifold panel benders, became part of the LVD product portfolio in late 2023, LVD panel bending machine can handle panels up to 3200 mm at high speeds, and are ideal for medium-to-high volumes of complex geometries. LVD panel bending machines are well suited to a wide variety of industries including: Control boxes/electrical cabinets, Clean rooms, Fire doors + residential doors, Metal furniture,  Medical & health care: hospital equipment, Shelving: warehouse / shop, Elevators, HVAC + AHU, Refrigerator doors, Commercial kitchen equipment, Metal wall panels & cladding systems, Acoustic ceiling panels & tiles 

LVD Synchro-Form technology, heavy-duty press brakes like the 800-ton model soon to be installed for MT Aerospace in Germany, offers adaptive being for XXL profiles and uses real-time angle correction for precise bends on long multi-radius parts. 

These solutions drive value by reducing the cost per part through automation, minimal tooling and programming software and make lights-out operation possible, boosting productivity up to 80%. 

(5) What machines, technologies, or live demonstrations will you be exhibiting at IMTEX Forming 2026? What can visitors expect to see at your booth? 

Visitors will see demonstrations of the made in India Multifold 2111 panel bender handling large panels with fully automatic operation to highlight rapid setup and high-volume productivity. An Easy-Form 135/30 press brake will showcase precision bending for complex applications using adaptive angle correction and CADMAN-B software. Interactive sessions will highlight our LaserTWO (made in India) laser cutting machine processing a variety of materials and thicknesses. 

Local experts from LVD Multifold will offer consultations on ROI modelling and Industry 4.0 connectivity. 

(6) How do you envision the future of the Indian metal forming and sheet metal industry over the next 5–10 years, and what role will your company play in that growth? 

India’s sheet metal forming industry will surge toward a USD 15 billion-plus market by 2035, propelled by 6-9% annual steel demand growth, EV manufacturing booms, renewable energy infrastructure like solar trackers, and mega-projects under PM Gati Shakti. 

Urbanization, defence corridors across India and steel capacity tripling to 500 MT by 2047 will demand precision fabrication for lightweight aluminum components and modular assemblies, fuelled by PLI schemes and exports. Smart factories with AI predictive maintenance and full automation will bridge skilled labor gaps, cutting costs amid volatile raw material prices and enabling just-in-time production for automotive and aerospace. 

Do Visit us at Imtex 2026 at  Hall 5 – Booth 108

https://www.lvdgroup.com/en/panel-benders/automatic-panel-benders/multifold

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