Overview
EN ISO 12643-3:2023 - Graphic technology - Safety requirements for graphic technology equipment and systems - Part 3: Binding and finishing equipment and systems (ISO 12643-3:2023) specifies safety requirements for the design and construction of new binding and finishing machinery. The standard applies to equipment used to convert printed or blank substrates into cut, folded, collated, assembled, bound or otherwise finished products, and is also applicable to processes that prepare substrate for the printing process. EN ISO 12643-3:2023 is identical to EN ISO 12643-3:2023 and supersedes earlier national and EN publications covering similar topics.
Key topics and technical requirements
This part of ISO 12643 focuses on practical machine safety measures for binding and finishing equipment. Key technical topics include:
- Hazard identification and significant hazards specific to binding and finishing workflows.
- Guarding and interlocks - requirements for fixed guards, interlocking guards and guard locking, including exceptions for inching and production speeds.
- Hopper and feeder safety - guarding for manually loaded and automatically fed hoppers, protection of unused hoppers and separating elements.
- Machine-specific safeguards for common binding/finishing equipment:
- Hand-fed riveting, eyeletting and attaching machines
- Flat- and saddle-stitching machines, gang stitchers and drum stitchers
- Gathering machines and perfect binders
- Paper drills, book presses and signature presses
- Sheet-folding machines, back-rounding/pressing, backlining and head-banding
- Casing-in (case-binding), book-cover crease-forming, embossing, laminators and coaters
- Guillotine cutters, trimmers and three-knife trimmers (including knife cycles, clamping, backgauge and knife changing)
- Inserters, counter-stackers and finishing lines
- Verification and validation of safety and risk reduction measures.
- Information for use - required contents of instruction handbooks for a wide range of machines.
- Annexes - e.g., Annex A provides formulae for calculation of safety distances of electronic safety proximity devices (ESPDs) on guillotine cutters and three-knife trimmers.
Practical applications
EN ISO 12643-3:2023 is used to ensure machine safety and regulatory compliance across the graphic arts sector. Practical applications include:
- Developing and certifying binding and finishing equipment for safe operation.
- Designing machine guards, interlock systems, and emergency stop arrangements.
- Conducting risk assessments and implementing hazard-specific safeguards for guillotine cutters, perfect binders, trimmers, folding and stitching machines.
- Preparing compliant instruction manuals and training materials for operators and maintenance personnel.
Who should use this standard
- Machine manufacturers and designers in graphic technology, printing and bookbinding
- Safety engineers, CE conformity assessors and compliance officers
- Printshop managers, maintenance teams and health & safety officers
- Standards bodies and testing laboratories involved in equipment certification
Related standards
- Part of the ISO 12643 series for graphic technology; prepared by ISO/TC 130 in collaboration with CEN/TC 198. EN ISO 12643-3:2023 supersedes earlier EN 1010 parts and national versions and should be used alongside other relevant machine-safety standards and national regulations.
