Laser interferometers have traditionally been a synonymous of very accurate metrology for very accurate machines, therefore being used only on metal cutting machine tools. In the early 90's most of the laser manufacturers developed dynamic software, able to measure displacements, speeds and accelerations versus time, which were considered as an enhancement of the laser performance, but without probably thinking of some possible new fields of application, which in effect have never been advertised so far. STANIMUC, besides assuring secretariat and chairmanship to both Technical Committees ISO/TC 39 Machine tools and CEN/TC 143 Safety of machine tools, have always offered to industry a service of machine tool calibration, testing, noise measurements, safety consultancy, etc.. This allowed STANIMUC to become acquainted with a wide range of the machine tool industry needs on different subjects, as for instance the measurement of the stopping time of power presses, used for calculating the safety distance of protective devices. Since the beginning of 1995 we have been performing those tests, with a sampling frequency up to 10 kHz (one reading every 0,1 millisecond). Methods for carrying out measurements are different from hydraulic presses or press brakes to mechanical eccentric presses, up to mechanical presses with link drive mechanism, which require a preliminary research of the point up the stroke where the maximum slide speed is reached. Another laser measurement for safety purposes is the assessment of the precise point up the stroke where the muting of the protective devices takes place, in order not to leave an unprotected part of the travel. Besides these measurements related to safety, many others are made possible by the dynamic software, as the instantaneous deflection of the table under the closing effort, which on mechanical presses can be measured only dynamically. Further measurements concern pitch and yaw angles of the slide during the closing movement, or angular deflections caused by an eccentric effort in the die. Other useful measurements can be carried out on mechanical presses equipped with the link drive mechanism and on screw presses. Transactions on Engineering Sciences vol 16, © 1997 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3533