Hydraulic Press

About Hydraulic Presses and Hydraulic Press Manufacturers Including: Arbor Presses, C-Frame Presses, Laminating Presses, Pneumatic Presses, Power Presses & Stamping Presses.

A hydraulic press is a press with its mechanics controlled by fluid pressure. Hydraulic presses have various uses and are available in different varieties. A hydraulic press has a bed for the die or material to be placed on. Once the stock is properly positioned, the material is pressed between the two plates with hydraulic force. The amount of force applied will vary with each application based on the material used. Once the material is molded, pressed, punched, formed or straightened, it is removed and continues to the next step in its process. A hydraulic press will usually require at least one operator. They also are available in operating capacities that range from manual to fully automated systems.
 
Virtually every industry relies on the technology provided by hydraulic press manufacturers. Common uses for a hydraulic press include the forming of metal plates, the laminating of wood fibers and the cutting of plastic pieces. A hydraulic press can also be used for the compaction of powdered materials such as cosmetics and pharmaceutical or food tablets. Often the hydraulic press is just one of the stages in a larger fabrication or manufacturing process.
 
The hydraulic presses are available in single and multi-station configurations. Single station presses consist of a single set of press tools (die and punch) inside a table. Multi-station presses have multiple sets of press tools, which either perform the same operation on many materials or perform various press operations on single or multiple materials as they move from stage to stage. Some presses use heat and vacuum technology along with the force of the press itself to form the material desired. Safety is a major concern in the daily operation of a hydraulic press so they often contain fixed or interlocking guards, which prevent injury.
 
Hydraulic press manufacturers primarily use stainless steel and other durable metals to fabricate presses. These metals allow for the rapid, repetitive creation of materials associated with a hydraulic press. Hydraulic presses provide smooth and quick operation. They operate with less wear on the mechanics of the moving parts and are comparatively quieter. Using a hydraulic press is more environmentally sound and energy efficient than other methods. When considering a hydraulic press, it is important to look at the amount of force necessary to perform the function needed as well as the operating speed desired. Other options to consider are temperature control, vacuum chambers, size, manpower and data acquisition. Hydraulic press manufacturers and providers often create custom units in order to meet specific client needs.

Hydraulic Presses and Hydraulic Press Manufacturers Image Provided by Wabash MPI	Hydraulic Presses and Hydraulic Press Manufacturers Image Provided by Grimco Presses, Inc.

Hydraulic Press Types

• Arbor presses are used for seating stamping and removing bearings and other high-pressure assembly, repair and production jobs.
  
• Assembly presses use great pressure to secure or assemble parts together.
  
• C-frame presses are streamlined-sized, press-shaped like a “C” and normally consist of a single press application.
  
• Compression molding presses use two plates being pushed together to compress the material into the mold.
  
• H-frame presses, sometimes referred to as 4-column presses, are shaped like an “H” and can often field more than one press application at a time.
  
• Laboratory presses are smaller, single run presses used primarily in research laboratories and other short and test run situations.
  
• Laminating presses are used for the lamination of polymers onto the surface of other materials including lumber, metal and paper.
  
• LIM presses refers to liquid injection molding presses which handle plastics that are created via an injection process.
  
• Mechanical power presses are used to shear, punch, form or assemble materials by using tools or dies attached to slides or rams.
  
• Pneumatic presses use energy transfers in the form of compressed airflow to control their movements. Some typical application are shearing, punching, bending and forming.
  
• Power presses are hydraulic powered machines that use tools and dies to shear, punch, and form metals.
  
• Stamping presses are devices that use stamping dies.
  
• Tableting presses are used for the pressing of powdered materials into shaped tablets or compacts.
  
• Straightening presses apply pressure to metal in order to straighten it. 

Hydraulic Press Terms

Actuator – A device that converts fluid power into mechanical movement.
 
Age – The amount of time necessary to wait between the molding and appraisal of molded part properties.

Backrind – A defect at the parting line where the material has shrunk inside the part.

Bed – The flat surface that supports the material being worked.
 
Bolster – Plates attached to the rods that carry the platens or any structure mounted to the bed of a press. It is sometimes removable.
 
Check Valve – Any one of several types of valves that allows flow in only one direction.

Compression Set – The lingering deformation after removal of the force, which compressed the section. An example is when one uses a fingernail to depress a molded sample; the impression that remains after a time is the compression set.

Contact Gauge – A feature of hydraulic systems that turns the system off and on at set pressure points.
 
Cylinder Assembly – The cylinder, piston, ram, seals and packing of a press.
 
Daylight – The largest capacity, vertically, that the press can handle or the vertical clearance from the underside of the ram to the top of the bolster. The ram must be in its maximum up position.
 
Die – The tooling used in a press for shearing, punching, forming, drawing or assembling metal or other materials.
 
Gate – The final opening through which injected material flows in order to enter a part cavity.
 
Heat Exchanger – Circulates air or water to maintain oil at operating temperature.
 
Hydraulic Pressure – Pressure caused by fluid under applied force.
 
Hydraulic Cylinders – Actuation devices that produce linear motion and force through the use of pressurized hydraulic fluid.
 
Hydraulic Pump – Pumps that use mechanical energy to deliver high-pressure fluid flow to the outlet through pressurized fluid.
 
Hydraulic Seal – A device that restricts the escape of fluid or entrance of foreign material.

Hydraulic Valve – A device that contains and transfers the flow and pressure of hydraulic fluid in hydraulic power systems.

Knockout – Removes the part from the punch/die.
 
Low Pressure System – A press function that allows it to operate continuously under 10% of its maximum rated force, as well as to ensure a preheat function at reduced pressure.
 
Platen – The place where the mold attaches. It is a series of flat surfaces where one surface is stationary and the other is moving.
 
Rod or Tie Rod – Long stem or pole that connects two pieces of the press so that they act together.
 
Shut Height – With the ram full down, it is the clearance over the bed.
 
Sprue – The main feed guide that runs from the outer face of an injection or transfer mold gate into a single cavity mold or to runners in a multiple cavity mold.
 
Stroke Control – Feature that controls the length of a stroke and can be adjusted accordingly.
 
Throat Clearance – Distance between the frame member behind the bed to the vertical centerline of the ram. This measurement affects the size of the piece that can be used.