Overview
EN ISO 13856-2:2013 (ISO 13856-2:2013) defines general principles for the design and testing of pressure-sensitive edges and pressure-sensitive bars used as safety guards on machinery. It applies to pressure-sensitive protective devices intended to detect persons or body parts exposed to hazards from moving machine parts. The standard focuses on design, testing and verification of these sensors as safety components - not on selecting a device for a specific machine application or on detailed safety system performance sizing.
Keywords: pressure-sensitive edges, pressure-sensitive bars, safety of machinery, ISO 13856-2, pressure-sensitive protective devices, machine guarding, testing and design.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard sets out requirements and test procedures covering the following technical topics:
- Effective sensing surface - definition and characteristics for reliable detection.
- Actuating force and force–travel relationships - test methods and measurement of force required to actuate sensors.
- Pre-travel, working travel and overtravel - mechanical travel characteristics that influence response and durability.
- Minimum operating speed, number of operations and durability - operational limits and lifetime testing.
- Sensor output and response behaviour - output signal requirements and interaction with switching devices.
- Reset function and inhibition/blocking - rules for reset behaviour and measures against bypassing.
- Environmental and power supply conditions - tests for performance under environmental stress and supply variations.
- Electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic integration - requirements when sensors interface with different types of control equipment.
- Enclosure, mounting, mechanical strength and recovery after deformation - robustness and installation considerations.
- Marking and information for selection/use - mandatory data to support safe selection, installation, commissioning and maintenance.
- Verification tests - a range of defined test procedures to validate compliance (e.g., actuator force, number of operations, environmental tests).
Note: ISO 13856-2 gives minimum values for SRP/CS (safety-related parts of control systems) but does not determine final performance level selection; it is not intended for dimensioning sensing areas for particular applications.
Practical applications and users
This standard is practical for anyone involved in the specification, design, testing, manufacture or assessment of pressure-sensitive protective devices used for machine guarding:
- Machine designers and OEMs specifying safety edges/bars for conveyors, doors, presses, robots and automated cells.
- Safety engineers responsible for safeguarding, risk assessment and integration of protective devices into safety systems.
- Test laboratories and manufacturers performing type testing, verification and compliance checks.
- Certification and conformity assessors verifying compliance with machinery safety directives.
Related standards and regulatory context
- ISO 13856-2 references and interacts with machine safety system standards (e.g., ISO 13849-1 for SRP/CS) and electrical safety standards (e.g., IEC 60204-1) when relevant.
- The document supports conformity with EU Machinery Directive requirements and has been adopted as a European Standard (EN ISO 13856-2:2013).
For safe, compliant machine guarding, use ISO 13856-2 to guide the design, testing and verification of pressure-sensitive edges and bars alongside system-level risk assessments and control system standards.