A safety power assist for a manual press is provided. In another aspect, a press includes a tool, a manual actuator, a switch and an automatically powered actuator. A further aspect of the present press employs a spring which must be compressed beyond a predetermined pinching force before a switch is activated, where switch activation causes an automatically powered actuator to advance a workpiece-contacting punch or tool.

Press-working apparatus, monitoring device, and method of operating a press-working apparatus with a press-working monitoring device and one or more displacement sensors including a first displacement sensor comprising a first primary attachment part mounted on a first part of the press-working apparatus, a first secondary attachment part mounted on a second part of the press-working apparatus, and a first sensing part, the first sensing part being arranged between the first primary attachment part and the first secondary attachment part, wherein the first displacement sensor is configured to provide a first output signal indicative of deformation of the first sensing part is disclosed. The method comprises: obtaining the first output signal from the first displacement sensor while moving the first part and the second part along a main axis in relation to each other, thereby deforming the first displacement sensor; determining if an error criterion based on the first output signal from the first displacement sensor has been met; and providing a control signal indicative of an error to the press-working apparatus if the error criterion is met.

A press apparatus includes a press assembly and an activation assembly. The press assembly includes a plurality of dies. The plurality of dies defines a center opening for receiving a work piece. The central opening defines a central longitudinal axis. The activation assembly is adapted to actuate the press assembly. The activation assembly includes a first switch and a second switch. The second switch includes a capacitive touch surface that faces in a direction toward the central longitudinal axis of the press assembly.

A press apparatus includes a press assembly and an activation assembly. The press assembly includes a plurality of dies. The plurality of dies defines a center opening for receiving a work piece. The central opening defines a central longitudinal axis. The activation assembly is adapted to actuate the press assembly. The activation assembly includes a first switch and a second switch. The second switch includes a capacitive touch surface that faces in a direction toward the central longitudinal axis of the press assembly.

The invention relates to a tool changing device (1) for a forming press (2), in particular a press brake, comprising at least one tool magazine (3, 4) and at least one transfer device (5, 6) for the transfer of the forming tools (7, 8) of the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), which are storable in the at least one tool magazine (3, 4), from the at least one tool magazine (3, 4) to the forming press (2) and in the reverse direction, wherein the at least one transfer device (5, 6) has a drivable thrust chain (9, 10) for the transmission of compressive and tensile forces.

A received beam amount acquisition section 60 acquires a received beam amount per unit time of a beam receiver 52 at certain sampling time intervals. A beam shielding detection section 66 detects presence or absence of beam shielding of a monitoring beam B by determining whether or not the acquired received beam amount per unit time of the beam receiver is lower than a determination threshold Th for detecting the presence of beam shielding of the monitoring beam B. A detection sensitivity of the beam shielding detection section 66 is configured to be switched from a normal sensitivity mode to a high sensitivity mode when bending is initial processing based on a predetermined processing program, and an acquired height position of the beam receiver 52 is lower than a predetermined second height position LP2.

A received beam amount acquisition section 60 acquires a received beam amount per unit time of a beam receiver 52 at certain sampling time intervals. A beam shielding detection section 66 detects presence or absence of beam shielding of a monitoring beam B by determining whether or not the acquired received beam amount per unit time of the beam receiver is lower than a determination threshold Th for detecting the presence of beam shielding of the monitoring beam B. A detection sensitivity of the beam shielding detection section 66 is configured to be switched from a normal sensitivity mode to a high sensitivity mode when bending is initial processing based on a predetermined processing program, and an acquired height position of the beam receiver 52 is lower than a predetermined second height position LP2.

A projector emits laser light, and an optical receiver includes a photodetector. When an upper table is lowered, a safety controller controls lowering of the upper table to stop, when it is determined that the optical receiver is in a light obstructing state in a period in which a condition is satisfied that a first distance between a tip of a punch and an upper end of a material is equal to or greater than a second distance between the tip of the punch and the photodetector, and controls the lowering to continue without stopping the lowering of the upper table even when it is determined that the optical receiver is in the light obstructing state in a period in which a condition is satisfied that the first distance is less than the second distance.

A projector emits laser light, and an optical receiver includes a photodetector. When an upper table is lowered, a safety controller controls lowering of the upper table to stop, when it is determined that the optical receiver is in a light obstructing state in a period in which a condition is satisfied that a first distance between a tip of a punch and an upper end of a material is equal to or greater than a second distance between the tip of the punch and the photodetector, and controls the lowering to continue without stopping the lowering of the upper table even when it is determined that the optical receiver is in the light obstructing state in a period in which a condition is satisfied that the first distance is less than the second distance.

The invention relates to a workpiece processing machine (1), and to a method for operation of a workpiece processing machine (1). The workpiece processing machine (1) comprises an automatically adjustable stop finger (17), and has, for monitoring adjustment movements of the stop finger (17), a monitoring device (36, 37, 38) that comprises an illuminating device (36) and at least one optical detection device (37). In operation of the workpiece processing machine (1), during an automatically controlled adjustment movement of the stop finger (17), a light beam (38) is radiated into an area ahead of the stop finger (17) in the adjustment direction. Upon detection of a first light image (43) projected onto an object surface (42) by the first light beam (38), a safety measure is triggered.