Selecting a Hydraulic Press

Selecting a Hydraulic Press / Buyers Guide

Proper selection of a hydraulic press for a particular application has prime importance. If you find it confusing to decide the set of specifications required, then consider the following points to arrive at a conclusion.

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Tonnage

Usually the tonnage required to do a job by hydraulic press is similar to that of mechanical press. There is no real difference. However, the tooling is usually interchangeable. There may be certain applications like deep drawing where the full power stroke of a hydraulic press reduces the tonnage. But, there are no known instances where using a hydraulic press requires more tonnage. Often, selecting press tonnage in the typical press room is little more than guesswork. As for example, a job is successful on a 100-ton mechanical press. The job may never have been tried at 75 tons or at 50 tons. With a hydraulic press, tonnage can be quickly and easily adjusted, tuning the press to precisely the right tonnage for each specific job.

Machine Action

The effect of the stroke on the work is almost same as with a mechanical press in most cases. However, there are some specific limitations. Drop hammers and mechanical presses do a better job on soft jewelry pieces with sharper coining action. However, the full power stroke of the hydraulic presses produce significantly better results in actions like deep drawing, etc. Otherwise there are very few examples where the application of 100 tons of hydraulic force produces any significant difference.

Press Selection Type

Depending upon the end-requirements, press selection type is chosen. As for example, open-gap presses provide easy access from three sides. At the same time, 4-column presses ensure even pressure distribution. Additionally, straight-side presses offer the rigidity required for off-center loading in progressive die applications. Several other factors also play important role in deciding the type of press. For example, more critical the work and the more demanding the tolerances, the greater the reserve tonnage capacity should be.

Accessories

Hydraulic presses are offered with a wide array of accessories such as:

Touch screen controls

Dwell timers

Sliding bolsters and rotary index tables

Die cushions

Ejection cylinders or knockouts

Distance reversal limit switches

Servo system feedback for precise, consistent, repeatable stroke control

Pressure reversal hydraulic switches

Automatic (continuous) cycling

Electronic light curtains and other devices

Quality

There are presses for light-duty, which are capable of spanking the work momentarily and reversing. On the other hand, there are heavy-duty machines designed for general purpose metalworking applications. Here are just a few construction points that will provide a basis for comparison of one machine with another:

Frame construction-rigidity, bolster thickness and dimensional capacity

Cylinder

Maximum system pressure

Horsepower rating

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Duration, length and speed of the pressing stroke

Speed

What to Consider when Choosing a Hydraulic Press

About Hydraulic Presses

The use of hydraulic presses over the traditional mechanical press has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Until recent history, the mechanical press was the common machine for production press work. The mechanical press utilizes a rack and pinion as well as a crankshaft to achieve significant tonnage without an external power source. It wasn't until the early s that hydraulic presses became the more popular option.

Hydraulic Presses utilize hydraulic cylinders, single-direction mechanic actuators, to create compressive force. Invented in by Joseph Bramah, hydraulic systems were conceptualized by studying the movement of fluids through early toilets, which were later replaced by toilets created by Bramah.

Hydraulics depend on Pascal's law, which basically states that when an incompressible fluid is given pressure, the pressure is applied evenly in every direction. This law allows the force generated from compressing a fluid to be utilized in moving mechanics like a piston. It was also discovered that using a smaller piston to pressurize the fluid, through which moves a larger piston, generates greater forces than using two equally-sized pistons. This is called a force multiplier and is crucial when creating a hydraulic system.

Needs

Before seeking out the best prices, you should consider the role a hydraulic press will have in your personal shop or business. Writing a full list of tasks you'd like a press to accomplish can provide a better scope of the strength, size, type, model, etc. of press you will need. Be sure to understand what a hydraulic press can do; the range of abilities are extensive. Bending, blanking, drawing, forming, molding, punching, and stamping are just some of abilities of hydraulic presses. Not all machines are capable of these actions and should be taken into consideration.

Tonnage

After considering the uses for your press, the next important question to ask is what tonnage will be required for the jobs.  If you are switching from a mechanical press to a hydraulic press, the tonnage requirements will not change. Do consider, however, when choosing the right hydraulic press, you only need to know the maximum tonnage you will require for any given job. Opposed to a mechanical press, most hydraulic presses can be tuned down to a lower tonnage depending on the task.

The required tonnage to punch material (or the punching force) varies depending on three factors: perimeter of the punch, shear strength of the material, and material thickness. The tonnage can be calculated with the following equation:

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Shear strength is a measurement of the force needed to produce a sliding failure on the material along a parallel plane to the direction of the force; punching a hole in paper is an example of paper failing in shear. Shear strength is commonly measured in kilonewtons per square millimeter (kN/mm2) or pounds per square inch (PSI)­. All materials shear fail at different levels of force, so it is important to understand the specifications of the material you are working with. The material specifications also include the thickness of the material being handled.

Though punching is a common use for a hydraulic press, other functions also require specific tonnage in order to be effective. It is encouraged to understand the tonnage requirements for any job you plan to utilize a hydraulic press for.