What are the common dangers in the operation of a bending machine?
Jun 19, 2025
I. Mechanical Injuries (the most common and diverse forms)
The upper and lower dies squeeze and hurt the hand
Dangerous scenario: When positioning or picking up and placing small workpieces after adjustment, if the hand accidentally enters the closed area of the mold (there is a risk of cutting if the stroke is ≥10mm).
Typical case: Improper gesture when bending small parts (Figure 2), the finger was caught between the upper die and the workpiece, resulting in a comminuted fracture.
Protection: Mandatory use of photoelectric protection devices (light curtains), automatic shutdown when hands enter the hazardous area. Physical isolation barriers are installed in the mold area.
2. Workpiece impact and dropping
Risk of double-person operation: When bending large items, they need to be lifted in coordination. If the workpiece becomes unstable and falls, it may hit the foot or head (Figure 1). The burrs on the edge scratched the arm.
Material stacking risk: The workpiece to be processed is stacked too high and overturns, or is scratched by sharp corners when turned around.
Protection: Heavy items require hoisting equipment. Wear anti-crush shoes and safety helmets; The workpiece is reprocessed after deburring.
3. Accidents during mold loading and unloading
Loose fastening bolts of the upper mold cause the mold to fall, or the lower mold is not padded with support wood, resulting in a rolling accident.
Protection: Operate strictly after locking the machine (LOTO program); Anti-fall brackets are designed in the mold installation area.
Ii. Electrical Injuries (with the highest fatality rate)
1. Electrical leakage caused by illegal renovation
Non-standard circuit modification (such as direct connection of the neutral wire to the PE terminal) causes the equipment casing to carry a 220V voltage, significantly increasing the risk of electric shock.
Protection: Comply with the national standard "single power connection" principle; A third-party electrical safety certification is required after the renovation.
2. Aging of circuits and short circuits
Cable damage and negative pressure ventilation in the electrical cabinet drawing in cutting fluid/dust (as shown in the illustration) can cause an internal short circuit or fire in the electrical cabinet.
Protection: The protection grade of the electrical cabinet is ≥IP54; Inspect the insulation condition of the lines every day; Leakage protection devices should be installed for wet zone operations.
3. Grounding failure of the equipment
Poor grounding causes the metal frame to become electrified. During the rainy season or in damp workshops, it is easy to form an electric shock circuit.
Protection: Test the grounding resistance (≤4Ω) weekly; Insulating rubber pads are laid on the operation console.
Iii. Parameter Errors and Mold Out-of-control
1. The pressure setting exceeds the limit
The pressure suddenly increased beyond the limit value of the mold (such as setting a 300T parameter for a 200T press), causing the mold to crack and fragments to fly.
Protection: Hierarchical management of parameter permissions; The system has a built-in pressure-mold matching database.
2. Overheating of the mold and lack of maintenance
Continuous bending of thick stainless steel plates causes the mold temperature to rise by more than 150℃, and the annealing deformation of the material leads to mold jamming.
Protection: Early warning by mold temperature control sensor; Cool and lubricate every 2 hours.
Iv. Human and Environmental Factors
1. Collaboration failure
The foot switch operated by two people is not synchronized: When one person steps on it, the other is still adjusting the workpiece, causing the workpiece to shift and injure the lower jaw (Figure 3).
Protection: Enable the "Double Confirmation" startup program (two people press keys simultaneously); Train collaborative gesture commands.
2. Fatigue and distraction
When working in consecutive shifts for more than 4 hours, the rate of accidental button touches increases by 40%. Wearing gloves when handling small items makes it easy to get caught in.
Protection: Mandatory rotational rest every 90 minutes; Do not use gloves when bending small items.
3. Environmental hazards
After slipping due to the oil stains on the ground, my hand fell into the mold area. Insufficient light misjudges the positioning of the workpiece.
Protection: 5S management (especially immediate cleaning of oil stains); The illuminance in the operation area is ≥300 lux.
Summary：
The safety of bending machines requires equal emphasis on technical protection (hardware) and behavioral management (software).
Urgent priority: Photoelectric protection + electrical compliance transformation to avoid immediate life-threatening risks;
Long-term management: Each shift's "Hazard Source Board" (Figure 4) indicates the risk points of the day, and combines the SHARP analysis method to quantify the nodes of human error.
Operators must keep in mind: "Do not put your hands in the mold area, keep your eyes on the workpiece, and do not take chances" - any negligence of 0.1 seconds may cause irreversible damage.
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