A computer-based control for a press brake of the type having a ram for bending a sheet metal workpiece to a desired bend angle. The control incorporates a teach mode which collects ram force and position data during the bending of one or more test workpieces and calculates from the force and position data parameters representative of the ram reversal position necessary to produce the desired bend angle. The control also incorporates a bend mode for bending a production workpiece to the desired bend angle wherein force and position data is collected during the bending of the production workpiece and is used in conjunction with the parameters calculated during the bending of the test workpieces during the teach mode to calculate the exact position of ram reversal necessary to produce the desired bend angle in the production workpiece. The control also incorporates correction of the position of ram reversal to account for ram overshoot during the bend mode.