A hydraulic press is a piece of industrial machinery that uses a hydraulic cylinder to create huge amounts of compressive force. These machines are commonly used in the manufacturing industry, including in the creation of car and plane parts. You'll often find a hydraulic press in a plant or shop that works with metal.
Hydraulic presses are useful in a wide range of industries. Read on to learn about five of the lesser-known uses for hydraulic presses.
1. Making Ceramics
Many people imagine the creation of ceramics as artisanal work that requires a delicate hand - far from the sheer power that a hydraulic press provides. Nevertheless, many ceramics professionals find great success with presses. The hydraulic press is fixed with a die on each cylinder, and the press forms the clay into any shape you want, such as plates, mugs, and ornaments.
A hydraulic press allows ceramic products to be created far more quickly and consistently than manual work would allow. Despite this, you still have plenty of artistic control over each product, such as introducing unique factors in the paint, details, and glaze.
2. Blacksmithing
Blacksmiths are artisans who create complex works from iron and steel. This process involves heating up the metal in a forge, then hammering it hundreds or even thousands of times to shape it and increase its strength. A hydraulic press can strike with the force of a hammer repeatedly with no effort on the part of the smith.
This streamlines the process considerably, allowing the smith to create more products with less effort. Since the cylinder strikes in the same spot with the same power every time, it's also more reliable and precise than manual hammering.
3. Compacting Daily Essentials
Have you ever wondered how makeup powders are packed into their containers? The answer is through the use of a hydraulic press. By applying a large amount of force, the makeup is compressed into a small block, sturdy enough to hold its shape and loose enough to be picked up by a makeup brush.
Additionally, the medical industry uses hydraulic presses in the creation of pills. Compressed powder will stay whole as it is swallowed, but it will easily dissolve once it reaches the digestive tract.
The food industry compresses foods such as meat and cheese before packaging. This not only makes the food easier to pack and transport, but it also increases shelf life by forcing out air, denying microscopic life the chance to thrive.
4. Waste Disposal
A hydraulic press can help you recycle specialty waste products. In the case of an oil filter, a press can compress it to a fraction of its original size while squeezing out all remaining oil, allowing you to reuse or dispose of it separately. In more general circumstances, a random selection of run-of-the-mill junk can be compressed into a convenient cube for easy disposal.
5. Creating Viral Videos
Hydraulic press videos attract many viewers on video sharing sites and social media platforms. These videos typically involve taking a household product, such as a toy or a fruit, and crushing it in a hydraulic press. There's something strangely satisfying about seeing a familiar object being destroyed in such a dramatic way.
Many objects behave unexpectedly in a hydraulic press. Pads of sticky notes crack apart like bricks, candles blast through small openings like streamers, and metal kitchen utensils are turned into modern art. These videos can gain a lot of traction online, granting more traffic to your web page.
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But even when you use precautions, accidents can happen at any time. You need to be sure your workers stay safe under any circumstance, including machine failure and human error. For the best possible protection, make sure to follow our hydraulic press safety requirements listed above and outfit your machines with failsafe locking systems. Not all machines are required to have a failsafe system installed by the original manufacturer. While there are machine guarding standards, they don't guarantee safety. Locking actuators address this gap.
Hydraulic locking actuators and lock systems perform as secondary safety units, in addition to those that may be provided on a press machine. The highest-quality locking systems work by creating an interference fit with the outside diameter of the rod in order to lock it in place — similar to a clamp.
Upon applying hydraulic pressure, the sleeve expands, providing just enough clearance for the rod to complete its stroke. Note that many options on the market won't work in the case of pressure loss, rendering the locking system useless in an emergency need. Your actuator or system should be a guaranteed failsafe. For absolute assurance, it needs to include:
Because hydraulic presses involve heavyweight, high-pressure and dangerous moving elements, hydraulic press safety standards are of the utmost importance. Machinists and press operators already face a risk of workplace accidents within close proximity of the ram stroke. Because they must hold metal objects near the area of impact, operators will suffer most from improper use or inadequate precautions.
Lack of safety precautions can also lead to a failure causing the ram to drop suddenly. Depending on the use and timing, this can mean injury by way of crushing or projectile. The ram can shatter objects completely, sending sharp pieces flying.
Even if a seal is deteriorating or a fitting is loose, it means potential loss of life for anyone near the machine. The numerous possibilities for accident are enough to create serious concern and anxiety for operators. If they aren't guaranteed safety, they won't be able to work efficiently or without high levels of stress.
Less severe but also important, failure and misuse damages the machine. The level of damage ranges from requiring repairs to rendering it useless, which means replacing the unit entirely.
While maintenance and acquiring safety devices for your hydraulic machines can be costly and time-consuming, it is a welcome tradeoff for protecting your workers. With regular practices and failsafe systems in place, your machinists can be efficient and happy knowing they are using a safe device.
Like the presses they fit on, not all locking devices are created equal. You want to purchase the best-fitting, most reliable device for your hydraulic press.
Custom building allows you to safeguard just about any of your hydraulic machines, even in restricted spaces and for specialized units. In order to request a custom build, you need to know a number of specifics:
With this information, you'll be ready to find the right lock system and locking actuator. You need to feel confident you are looking out for your workers' safety. Accidents happen, but you can prepare for them.
Bear-Loc® by York Precision Machining and Hydraulics was created for hydraulics operators everywhere. Our system creates a safer, lower-risk environment for you and your workers. With Bear-Loc®, you don't have to choose the closest fitting option. We custom build tailor-fit devices for your machines.
Our responsive team makes the ordering process hassle-free, so you can benefit from a custom Bear-Loc® without any stress. We also offer cost-effective repairs and replacement, just in case you need them.
There is no other hydraulic locking device with all of these features on the market. The complex and proprietary design is privately owned and cannot be reproduced by any other company. Bear-Loc® hydraulic cylinder lockout devices are one-of-a-kind, providing the safest and most reliable option for your business.
Our locking devices will benefit your business for decades of use. Choose to make your systems failsafe with a Bear-Loc® hydraulic actuator or independent locking device. Contact us through our online form to request more information or get started with a no-obligation quote.
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