WOW a three year old press break with out light guards? Kinda amazed they can even sell it, you can't in europe. That said, if the beams broken on the amads i have ran they will still continue to close, just the speed drops to 10mm a secound max and thats plaenty fast enough to still pose a finger nip risk on work being bent up especially on the top of C shaped work on the main beam as that can be moveing pretty quick on a small V that far out.
Light guards are not cheap (was quoted over a grand for just guards and safety rated relay on a job i was looking at a few years ago), all the more so if that includes enclosing the rest of the machine to block off other access routes to the danger zone. Hence there not exactly ripping you a new one for 10K IMHO, its probably about right for a good system that would met safety stds.
May well make a lot more sense to go press shopping though than upgrade what you have. Over here $30K will buy you a pretty nice name brand break thats 3 years old.
