ISO 12643-2:2023

Overview - ISO 12643-2:2023 (Graphic technology safety for prepress and press equipment)

ISO 12643-2:2023 is the third-edition international standard that defines safety requirements specific to prepress and press equipment and systems used in graphic technology. It provides additional design and construction requirements for new prepress and printing press machinery, including auxiliary equipment that is integrated into a press control system. This standard applies from its publication date forward and is not applicable to equipment manufactured before that date.

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard focuses on practical, machine-level safety measures and covers a broad set of technical topics, including:

• Guarding and protection of significant hazards (guard openings, in‑running nips)
• Interlocks and guard locking, plus controlled crawl speeds with open guards
• Hold‑to‑run controls and two‑hand control sequences for risky operations
• Automatic format‑setting and automatic/semi‑automatic plate changes
• Safeguarding of specific components: delivery units, transport carriages, plate‑clamping, folders, continuous‑flow dryers, screen printing presses
• Fire, explosion and dust protection, especially for web presses and drying devices
• Washing and solvent handling (washing devices, alcohol dosing, spillage prevention)
• Electrical and control system safety for prepress machinery and inkjet systems
• Emergency stop devices, control zones and verification of protective measures
• Requirements for instruction handbooks and residual risk information for operators

These topics appear in structured clauses that manufacturers and safety engineers use to design, verify and document machine safety.

Applications and who should use this standard

ISO 12643-2:2023 is intended for:

• Manufacturers and designers of prepress and press equipment (sheet-fed, web-fed, screen, inkjet)
• Safety engineers and compliance officers implementing machine safeguarding and CE/market conformity
• Plant managers and maintenance teams responsible for safe installation, operation and servicing
• Machine integrators who incorporate auxiliary systems into press control architectures
• Inspectors and certification bodies verifying that new equipment meets recognized safety criteria

Use this standard to reduce operator risk, guide protective device selection (guards, interlocks, emergency stops), define safe operating procedures, and prepare required technical and instruction documentation.

Related standards

• ISO 12643-1:2023 - referenced for general requirements and the interrelation between Part 1 and Part 2 within the ISO 12643 series.

Keywords: ISO 12643-2, graphic technology, safety requirements, prepress equipment, printing press safety, guarding, interlocks, emergency stop, web press, sheet-fed presses, inkjet printing.