Automating a DiAcro bender

[welderboyjk]

Forgive me if this is the wrong forum section but this seems to be the best on I could find.
I have purchased one of these;
http://www.diacro.com/diacro_product...er_bender.html
but it is an older model. The basic workings of the machine is a rack bar hooked on the end of a cylinder which turns a pinion gear. My model has a lever which the operator uses to actuate the hydraulic valve. It has whiskers which are hooked on the bottom of the "pinion gear" and they release the catch for the valve.
What I would like to do is make it more automated but I need input first. I was thinking about just putting a platter on the bottom of the pinion(near the rotary pot is on the new model) with moveable stops which would be used to hit a limit switch which would run a hydraulic solenoid valve. I think this would by far be the cheapest thing to do. Then I got to thinking(always bad) about other things.
If I wanted to fully automate this more like the new factory model the things that I see that I will need would be;
1 touch screen w/software
2 PLC?
3 rotary pot (encoder)
4 power supply
5 hydraulic valve
6 misc cables and connectors
What would I need to make the machine have a program memory for multiple jobs. I have been looking at automation direct and a little bit here but I've never done anything like this b-4 any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[dan_the_welder]

I have put an encoder on a brake before. You need to make a macro to check the encoder count and switch off the power when it gets where you need it to go.

I used solenoid valves on air cylinders and it was controlled by Mach3.

Dan