A compact, portable in-line heat press machine that holds the upper heated platen horizontal and laterally aligned with the lower platen is provided. The lower frame has front and rear pivot joints on each side of such frame to accommodate linkage arms pivotally attached to it and the upper frames which has similar pivot joints. As such the upper heated platen is lifted up and straight back with respect to the lower platen assembly which completely clears the lower platen for unobstructed loading/unloading of lower platen while keeping the upper platen assembly in a horizontal position. When the upper platen is moved into the lower position, a locking mechanism affixes the upper and lower platen assemblies so that the platen actuators can cause a linear movement between them thus causing a pressing action.

A determination part determines whether or not a shadow of an upper mold is expanded to a photodiode by laser beam projected to a light receiver side based on a light receiving state of a photodiode positioned in a vicinity of the upper mold. When it is determined that the shadow of the upper mold is expanded to the photodiode positioned in the nearest vicinity of the upper mold, the invalidation unit invalidates the photodiode. A detection unit detects a presence or absence of a foreign body between the upper mold and a lower mold based on light receiving states of the effective plurality of photodiodes during a lowering operation of an upper table.

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.

A drive unit drives a slide which vertically reciprocates for pressing the workpiece. A detection unit detects positional information about the slide. A speed control unit controls the speed of the slide by the drive unit, based on motion information defining operation of the slide. A stoppage determination calculation unit sets a deceleration start point at which deceleration of the slide is to be started, based on the motion information and a set point at which the slide is to be forced to stop. A speed control unit determines whether an abnormality signal regarding transportation of the workpiece is input, when the slide reaches the deceleration start point based on the positional information about the slide detected by the detection unit. The speed control unit performs deceleration control for the slide so that the slide is stopped at the set point, when determining that the abnormality signal is input.

A press machine includes a display that displays a plurality of images, and a processor that generates a plurality of images corresponding to a slide operation and a movement operation. The plurality of images include a first image having an annular shape, a second image having an arc shape, and a third image. A first region of the second image represents a movement time required for the movement operation, a third region represents a stop time required for a slide stop process, and a second region represents a delay time until the slide stop process starts after the movement time elapses. The processor displays the third image on the display as a determination element for determining whether the slide operation and the movement operation are settable in a relationship between the slide operation and the movement operation based on an input from the user interface.

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.

A deforming machine (1) with a machine frame (2), on which an upper tool (4) and a lower tool (5) are arranged, which form a working gap (8) of variable size, with a first optical safety light barrier (20) for securing a first safety space (28) adjacent to the working gap (8) and with a second optical safety light barrier (30) for securing a second safety space (31), which is located in front of a largest surface (18) of the upper tool (4). The second optical safety light barrier (30) is designed for monitoring a third safety space (51) which extends downwards beyond the end face (6) of the upper tool (4) facing the lower tool (5) along the movement path (14) in the direction of the lower tool (5), so that a projection of the third safety space (51) onto the working gap (8) covers at least a section of the working gap (8).

An access protection system for safeguarding an access point to a machine or installation includes a sensor device and an interlocking device. The sensor device includes an optical transmitter and receiver. The interlocking device includes a base body and a blocking element. The optical transmitter is configured to transmit a light pulse to the optical receiver. The sensor device is configured to generate a sensor signal based on reception of the light pulse. The sensor signal is used to control the machine or installation. The blocking element is movable relative to the base body from a release position into a blocking position. The blocking element is configured to be located, while in the blocking position, in a beam path of the light pulse between the optical transmitter and receiver to block the reception of the light pulse. The interlocking device is lockable in the blocking position by a securing element.

The invention relates to a method for operating a bending press (10), wherein the bending press (10) comprises a first platform (1) with a first tool mount (11) and a second platform (2) with a second tool mount (12), wherein one of the platforms (1) is movable relative to the other platform (2) for performing a working movement, a safety device (20) for creating a light barrier (27), in particular laser light barrier, extending between the tool mounts (11, 12) transversely to the working movement of the movable platform (1), which light barrier (27), in a cross-section, forms a light field (7), wherein the safety device (20) has a first mount (21), which carries a light emitter (25) for creating the light barrier (27), and a second mount (22), which carries a light receiver (26) for receiving the light of the light barrier (27), and wherein the first mount (21) is arranged on a first side of the first platform (1) and is adjustable relative to the first platform (1) by a first adjustment drive (23), such that the position of the light barrier (27) relative to the first tool mount (11) can be changed in the direction of the working movement of the movable platform (1), a controller (9) that is connected to the first adjustment drive (23), characterized in that
before a bending operation or a series of bending operations, the controller (9) brings the first mount (21) into a working position by controlling the first adjustment drive (23), in which working position the tool tip (4) of a bending tool (8) held by the first tool mount (11) lies within the light field (7) formed by the light barrier (27).

The invention relates to a bending press (10) for bending a workpiece (19), comprising a first platform (1) with a first tool mount (11) and a second platform (2) with a second tool mount (12), wherein one of the platforms (1) is movable relative to the other platform (2) for performing a working movement, a first safety device (20) for creating a light barrier (27) extending between the tool mounts (11, 12) transversely to the working movement of the movable platform (1), wherein the first safety device (20) has a first mount (21) and a second mount (22), wherein one of the mounts (21) carries a light emitter (25) and the other mount (22) carries a light receiver (26), and wherein the first mount (21) is arranged on a first side of the first platform (1) and is adjustable relative to the first platform (1) by a first adjustment drive (23), a controller (9) that is connected to the first adjustment drive (23), characterized in that the first tool mount (11) is designed in the form of a guide rail, which has at its first end a first front side opening (13) for changing a bending tool (8), and that the access for changing a bending tool (8) via the first front side opening (13) is obstructed in a first relative position of the first mount (21) to the first platform (1) and is unblocked in a second relative position of the first mount (21) to the first platform 1.