Overview
LazerSafe press brake guarding mounts a laser transmitter and receiver to the upper beam of the press brake, so the protection zone travels with the punch. A continuous block laser field guards the area around the punch tip. The operator can hold the workpiece close to the tooling while the tools close at high speed, and the machine stops if an obstruction is detected. Sentinel Plus is LazerSafe's system for retrofitting most existing press brakes.
Key Features
- Beam-mounted laser protection
- The transmitter and receiver ride on the upper beam, keeping the laser field just below and around the punch tip.
- BendShield optical protection
- Detects obstructions from any angle and stays active until the tool opening is down to 2 mm.
- RapidBend Plus
- Dynamic muting lets the tools close at high speed until the punch is as little as 2 mm above the material, on flat sheets and box profiles. Results depend on the press brake.
- Automatic tool scan
- After a tool change, the operator presses TOOL SCAN and the camera receiver finds the tool tip and sets the protection zone.
- AutoSense monitoring
- Monitors control commands, motion, direction, speed and stopping performance in real time.
- Dual guarding support
- The operator can switch to a connected third-party light curtain for jobs such as multi-height tooling, with mute point, speed and stop time still monitored.
- Optional safety monitoring
- Adds monitoring of emergency stops, side and rear gate interlocks, and up to four external devices such as valve sensors or relays.
Product Line / Models
Sentinel Plus comes in three configurations:
- Sentinel Plus – Standard free-sliding linear brackets (520, 700 or 1000 mm). Maximum recommended optical range 8 m (26 ft).
- Sentinel Plus Automatic – Motorized brackets (550 or 700 mm) move the transmitter and receiver clear for tool change and back to the punch at one touch. Optical range 6 m (20 ft) with Automatic Brackets.
- Sentinel Plus XL – Long-range laser transmitter and camera receiver for long press brakes, up to 15 m (50 ft), with greater resistance to machine vibration.
Applications & Benefits
- Short, hand-held parts: The operator can keep hands close to the tooling while the press brake closes at speed.
- Retrofits: Sentinel Plus can be retrofitted to most existing press brake models.
- Box and flanged parts: RapidBend Plus works with both flat sheets and box profiles with side flanges.
- Multi-height tooling: Switch to a connected light curtain where laser guarding is not the best fit.
Technical Specifications (Examples)
Sentinel Plus specifications from LazerSafe:
| Max. recommended optical range | Min. detection resolution / object detection | |
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How to Choose the Right LazerSafe Guarding System
- Confirm the press brake type, control and stopping performance. LazerSafe is best suited to hydraulic press brakes with fast stopping times.
- Measure the press brake length. Beyond the 8 m (26 ft) standard range, look at Sentinel Plus XL.
- Consider how often you change tools. Automatic Brackets cut the time spent repositioning the transmitter and receiver.
- Review your tooling. Sentinel Plus works with V tools and non-standard tools; multi-height tooling may call for a light curtain as well.
- Decide which extra devices to monitor: emergency stops, side and rear gates, or external valves and relays.
Why LazerSafe Press Brake Guarding Is Trusted
- Certified hardware and software: Sentinel Plus is TUV Certified and UL Listed, and complies with EN12622, ANSI B11.3-2012 and CSA Z142-10.
- SIL 3 safety controller: A TUV Certified SIL 3 controller with encoder feedback runs TUV Certified kernel software.
- Press brake focus: LazerSafe has built press brake safety systems since 1998.
Contact & Ordering
Need help picking the right model or getting a quote? Provide these details:
- Press brake make, model, tonnage and bed length
- Hydraulic or other drive, and the CNC control
- Tooling in use (V tools, non-standard or multi-height)
- Typical parts (flat, box or flanged) and how they are held
- How often tools are changed
- Extra devices to monitor (emergency stops, gates, valves)
- Contact PRI to discuss specs, lead times, and installation support.
