Case study: 110-ton, 4 m electric-hydraulic brake commissioning
Commissioning is where a machine stops being a shipment and starts being a production asset. This is the actual scope: the checks, the sequence, and the sign-off — the same sequence described in our delivery and installation guide, run on a real machine.
The machine
A 110-ton, 4,000 mm electric-hydraulic press brake with closed-loop Y1/Y2 control and a matching shear, delivered as a pair so the customer's blanking and bending stayed in one workflow. The commissioning record from the factory side has the photographs; this page is the scope and the sequence.
Before the crate arrived
- Floor and route: slab loading checked, machine position marked, and the route from the loading point to the position measured — the 4 m bed decides whether doorways and corners work.
- Power: the supply verified against the machine's requirements before the electrician was booked — the electrical guide is the checklist.
- Lifting: crane or forklift capacity confirmed for the machine weight, with lifting points identified.
- Documentation: the pack matched to the serial number before uncrating.
The commissioning sequence
- Positioning and levelling: the machine set level on its marked position — a machine out of level bends a consistent bow into every part.
- Power and safety circuits: supply verified, guarding interlocks and emergency stops function-tested before the first cycle.
- Hydraulics: system filled, bled, and run at no load to check stroke smoothness and cylinder sync.
- Loaded test bends: real material at working tonnage, angle measured at several stations along the bed — the same protocol as the factory test, run on site.
- Backgauge verification: repeatability measured by repeated positioning to the same target.
- Operator training: control workflow, tooling changes, the angle correction routine, and the daily maintenance items from the maintenance guide.
- Sign-off: the acceptance checklist completed and the documentation pack handed over.
What the record is for
The measured test-bend values and the sign-off checklist travel with the machine file. They are the baseline every later accuracy question gets measured against — and the reason a machine with a commissioning record is easier to support five years later than one without. The warranty page describes how the record interacts with coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What was commissioned?
A 110-ton, 4,000 mm electric-hydraulic press brake together with a matching shear, installed and commissioned at the customer's factory, with operator training on handover.
What does commissioning actually cover?
Positioning and levelling, power connection verification, hydraulic filling and bleeding, full stroke and sync checks, loaded test bends in the customer's material, backgauge repeatability measurement, angle verification across the bed, safety function tests, and operator training on the control.
How long does it take?
For a machine of this class, on-site work runs a few days including training, assuming the floor, power and lifting were prepared in advance. Preparation is what shortens it — see the <a href='/guides/press-brake-delivery-installation/'>delivery guide</a>.
What did the customer sign off against?
The acceptance checklist: machine condition after uncrating, documentation pack matched to the serial number, power and safety function checks, and measured test bends on their own material — the same items the <a href='/guides/how-to-buy-a-press-brake/'>buyer's guide</a> recommends before final payment.
What usually goes wrong at commissioning?
Almost always preparation, not the machine: power not ready, lifting not booked, floor not checked, or the building route not measured. The machine arrives once; the preparation is the part worth doing early.
Plan your commissioning properly
Tell us the machine, the floor and the power. We will send the preparation checklist before the crate ships, not after.