Precautions & Safety Tips for Using Sheet Metal Bending Machine
Sheet metal bending is the process of transforming the shape of tubes and sheet metals with the help of a process called plastic distortion. Now the question may come to your mind: What exactly is plastic distortion.
Plastic distortion is the process where some forces are applied on a material to change its shape which will be irreversible. There are numerous ways of applying forces and deform the material for sheet metal bending and tube bending.
Sheet metals are considered to be one of the most flexible metals for the same. Throughout this blog, we will look into some of the precautions and safety tips to be considered while using sheet metal bending machines.
What dangers are to be anticipated while working with Sheet Metal Bending machines?
The probability of machine operators getting injured or having accidents is very high. Hence, it’s important to understand the dangers lying behind while operating a sheet metal bending machine. Let’s see one by one.
Wounds
Getting wounded in the form of cuts and lacerations are something that needs to be very careful when working with unfinished metal workpieces. Sheet metal undergoes multiple processes before the final output and there are operations that will create very sharp edges and burrs which are to be smoothed out later. Moving bare hands on unfinished and sharp sheet metal workpieces can cause injury.
Burns
Skin burns are another major hazard lying while operating a sheet metal bending machine. If by any chance during the process sheet metal s comes in contact with any heat source there are chances of it getting heated up quickly due to its high conductive nature and as a result it can cause skin burns.
It's important to have proper tools to touch the heated sheet metals. Not only heated metals cause danger, there are instances where cold burns also occur with cold temperatures.
Respiratory issues
One of the major health hazards to be foreseen while working with sheet metal bending is the respiratory issues that can arise from the particulates generated while cutting, bending and processing sheet metals. These particulates can get into the lungs and can cause breathing issues and other respiratory illnesses.
Safety Precautions
Necessary precautions have to be taken for the safe operation and accurate results while using a sheet metal bending machine. Let’s check some of the major points:
Understanding the machine
Have you ever tried operating a sheet metal bending machine? It’s very important to get familiarized with the machine like its features, settings, applications etc. before you start operating it. Instruction manuals come along with every machine to understand each and every functionality.
Not only the functionalities are explained in the instruction manuals, certain dos and don’ts while operating the machine can be understood from the manual which will definitely help you prevent chances of any accidents. Apart from referring to the instruction manuals, it's good if you could train from experienced hands before working on sheet metal bending machines.
Warming up machines
It’s always recommended to keep the sheet metal bending machine warm in cold climatic conditions. To obtain the utmost results, the machine has to be warmed up a few minutes before you start using it.
One way of warming the machines is getting it on and putting the machine on work mode so that the machine works for some time before you actually operate it. Upon warming the machine, you are sure to get the best results in cold weather conditions. Also, this eliminates the probability of the machines getting too stressed to start up.
Proper Sheet Holding
While operating a sheet metal bending machine, proper placement of the sheet is highly important. To ensure safety while in operation, its required to hold the sheet at the correct angle. Anytime you initiate the sheet metal bending process, make sure that the sheet is placed parallel to the bender.
Placing the sheet wrongly in the machines can cause accidents by the sheet getting hit on your body and getting injured.
Mind your hands!
While operating the sheet metal bending machine, you need to be very careful with your hands. Make sure you maintain a safe distance between your hands and the workpieces and machines to avoid getting any injury. Failure to maintain proper distance can cause serious accidents and even permanent damage.
Wear Protective gear!
Another major safety tip while operating sheet metal bending machines are the use of proper safety gears. Safety gears like proper gloves, pants, safety boots and even long sleeved shirts can protect you from any sharp metals coming on your way or falling down. Its also to be noted that machine operators are generally not allowed to wear any loose-fitting clothes or jewelry.
Wet metals
It has to be noted that wet metals have to be handled carefully. We metals may contain oil, water grease or any other liquid which can cause the material to slip from your hands and can cause accidents. Hence its important to be handled with utmost care.
Clean surface
Always make sure the working surface is extremely clean and there are no chances of any accidents. The metal scraps have to be cleaned on time to avoid any kind of injury.
Conclusion On Precautions & Safety Tips for Using Sheet Metal Bending Machine
In this blog , we have gone through the various factors that need to be taken into consideration for the proper usage of sheet metal bending machines. Proper knowledge and skill to operate the machine along with usage of proper safety gears will help you prevent accidents to a certain extent. In case of any unfortunate event, it's essential to keep a first aid kit at your facility and know how to use the kit as well.
Since the job is working with metals, any kind of cut or wound happens, apart from performing first aid, it's necessary to make sure that the person is taken to the nearest clinic or hospital, and he receives proper medical attention to avoid any serious infection.
Along with the safety precautions, buying a good branded machine will save you from accidents that can arise from the poor quality of machines and this is why companies like Hytek Marketing are most preferred by customers when it comes to buying sheet metal bending machines. Hence choose your brand wisely and take necessary precautions to avoid any unfortunate situation.