Press Brake Accessories and Options

A press brake is specified by tonnage and bed length, but it is used through its accessories. Back gauge axes decide whether a five-bend part is one setup or three. Guarding decides whether you can legally run it at all. Crowning decides whether a 4 m bend holds its angle from end to end.

This section covers the options that change what a machine can do, and the ones you can add later.

Positioning and gauging

Back gauge systems

X, R and Z axes, what each one actually does, when two axes are enough and when four pays for itself. Repeatability figures and what they depend on.

Sheet followers

Supports that lift and follow the sheet during the bend, for large thin panels that would otherwise sag and change the angle. Mechanical or servo-driven.

Safety

Light curtains and laser guards

EN 12622, muting, safety distance, and why the smallest part you run — not the largest — governs your risk assessment.

Two-hand control and foot pedal

Where a foot pedal is acceptable, where two-hand control is required, and how both interact with a guarded point of operation.

Accuracy

Crowning systems

Mechanical wedge compensation or hydraulic cylinders in the bed, compensating the deflection that opens the bend angle at the centre of a long part. Seecrowning explained.

Angle measurement

Laser or contact systems that measure the bend angle during the stroke and correct the ram depth in real time. The single biggest reduction in first-piece scrap.

Tooling and clamping

Clamping systems — manual, hydraulic or pneumatic, in the common European, Amada-style and Wila-style interfaces. Hydraulic clamping turns a tool change from twenty minutes into two. See press brake tooling.
Die holders and adapters — letting one machine take tooling from several standards.
Front support arms — sliding or on rails, with a stop for repeat positioning of long parts.

Controls and connectivity

Controller options — entry-level NC to multi-axis CNC with 2D programming and automatic bend sequence. Seecontrol systems compared.
Offline programming — prepare programs at a desk rather than at the machine, which is what actually raises utilisation on high-mix work.
Remote diagnostics — what can be diagnosed over a video call and a network connection, and what genuinely needs a person on site. Seesupport.

Retrofit note. Some of this can be added to a machine you already own — guarding, crowning, clamping and a new control are all feasible retrofits on sound mechanicals. Back gauge axis count and bed length generally are not. Ask before you replace.

Questions we get asked

Which accessories matter most on a new machine?

For most shops: adequate back gauge axes, crowning if your bed is over about 3 m, and guarding that matches your smallest part. Angle measurement is the largest single reduction in first-piece scrap if your material varies.

Can accessories be retrofitted to an existing press brake?

Guarding, crowning, hydraulic tool clamping and a new control can usually be retrofitted if the mechanicals are sound. Bed length and the number of back gauge axes generally cannot, so those are decisions to make at purchase.

How many back gauge axes do I need?

Two (X and R) covers most work. Z axes help when a part has gauge positions that vary across the bed width, and extra axes matter when parts are positioned at very different heights. See the back gauge page for the trade-off.

Is a light curtain mandatory?

Requirements depend on your jurisdiction and on the machine as supplied. In the EU, press brake safety is covered by EN 12622 and the Machinery Directive, and the guarding has to suit the work — including the smallest part you run. Your local rules govern.

Does hydraulic tool clamping pay for itself?

On high-mix, short-run work, usually yes: it cuts a tool change from many minutes to a couple. On long runs with one setup per shift, it is harder to justify.