EN
Press Brake
Periodic inspection of press brakes: ESME laser guarding, back gauge, light curtains, brakes and control chain tests by authorised engineers, with reports.
Press brake periodic inspection is the at-least-annual testing, by authorised engineers, of hydraulic (today mostly CNC) press brakes that bend sheet on a V-die: hand zone protection, back gauge safety, upper beam counterbalancing, the control chain and the hydraulic-brake equipment are verified. As the bending throat of the brake is accessible, the operator's hand can be crushed between the moving beam and the bend point; the protection design targets this risk.
Critical Safety Organs
- ESME (laser guarding): Presence and calibration of the laser curtains monitoring the front edge of the upper beam; cut/slow-down function on approach and sensing resolution.
- Light curtain: Cutting side access in automatic bending cells; safety distance verified against TS EN ISO 13855.
- Back gauge fingers: Kick-back risk of the sheet; gauge motor torque limiting and finger position locking; holding behaviour of automatic followers.
- Upper beam counterbalance: Balance cylinder/control suppressing swing during bending; speed limiting in set-up mode; safety valves against beam fall.
- Control: Motion only with two hands; relationship of the foot switch to the protection curtain; machine-lock of the CNC "set-up mode".
Periodic Test Items
- ESME/laser barrier function test with a test rod: detection and response time; lens alignment; contamination warning threshold.
- Emergency stop chain: beam stopping distance; hold (drift) verification on power cut; hydraulic pilot valves.
- Interlocks and doors: rear guarding (automatic cells), side barriers; key-lock function.
- Electrical: TS EN 60204-1 (earthing, insulation, RCD); servo/encoder safety circuit; brake monitor settings.
- Mechanical-hydraulic: die quick-clamp integrity, cylinder leakage, relief valve setting, beam guideways and lubrication.
Legislation and Standards
Press brakes are subject to at least annual periodic control under Law No. 6331, the Work Equipment Regulation and Machinery Directive duties. Technical references: TS EN 12622 for cold forming presses (with its bending press provisions), TS EN 999 / TS EN ISO 13855 for sensing protective devices, the manufacturer ESME standard for laser guarding, TS EN 574 for two-hand controls and TS EN ISO 12100 for general design. Operator finger crush enters occupational injury records; the report is legal evidence in this respect too.
Risks, Recommendations and Outcome
The leading field non-compliances are reducing laser sensitivity for fast cycling or disabling the ESME, and removing anti-kick-back retainers. Bending posture training, shift test-rod verification and die change clamp control are recommended to the facility. On hard stainless sheets kick-back risk grows; automatic followers should be evaluated. At the end of the examination a signed report with measurements is issued. Press brake controls are within our Machines and Machine Tools group; for the rest of the sheet line see Guillotine Shear and Sheet Metal Working pages, or contact us for your programme.
FAQ on Press Brake Inspection
On a bending brake the hands approach the upper tool bend zone while placing and taking sheet; when the punch descends, crushing happens between beam and die. That is why press brakes run with a light curtain or non-contact laser guarding; if the protection is disabled or misaligned the machine becomes lethal. The control focuses on the curtain trio, hydraulic balance synchronisation and brake-lock.
Laser curtain (type 2-4) trip test and approach distance, left-right cylinder synchronisation (misalignment-crush-prevention-warning), beam bend tolerance and tool clamp-bolt torque, punch-die wear (finger break-unstable-crush), hydraulic cylinder-hose-pipe leak, load holding (anti-burst) safety valve, pressure limit-alarm, back gauge travel-guard, emergency mushroom-stop-disconnect, light-sound warning, electrical-earthing-bonding-RCD, capacity-plate-bend-shape label and CE-plate-instruction manual.
Yearly periodic control under the Work Equipment Regulation; TS EN 12622 (hydraulic press safety) and the manufacturer manual are the basis for brakes. Heavy sheet continuous production or a guarding fault shortens the interval. The quick pre-shift function check (curtain-trip-stop) is the operator duty; guard alignment and dust-lens cleaning are daily watch items.
Dead-blinded-bypassed laser curtain, broken cylinder sync (beam drifting), cracked-chunked punch-die, plastic beam deformation-weld crack, leaking load-holding valve (press descent), faulty pressure switch-safety valve, failed earth-RCD: red tag. Return after repair-verification and a trip test; touching the protection system is forbidden beyond authorised staff. Records (report-test log) stay in the OHS file and follow the periodic calendar.