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A hydraulic press is a machine that uses fluid pressure to generate a force. Also known as a Bramah press, this force can be used to compress or mould materials.
Often used in manufacturing and industrial applications, hydraulic presses are designed to exert a large amount of force while still being easy to operate. Laboratory hydraulic presses are smaller and have a lower force capacity than what you may see in an industrial environment, but they also have an added benefit of being more precise.
Hydraulic presses are commonly used for laboratory research and testing. This includes pressing KBr pellets for FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), or general sample pellets for XRF (X-ray fluorescence).
To get accurate results from these tests, it’s important to use the right equipment. This is why hydraulic presses are available in numerous sizes and configurations – but with so many models to choose from, selecting the right machine for your application can prove difficult.
If you’re on a tight budget, a manual solution is likely to cost less than a product that’s electronically powered – but if your workforce will be using the press frequently, it might be too labour-intensive to be efficient. For busy labs where a lot of samples will need to be pressed, your workflow (and staff morale!) might benefit from an automatic machine that will be quicker and easier to use.
That’s not all. You also have the option of a mini hydraulic press, which is not only affordable but portable and easy to use, too.
Fortunately, Specac offer a range of hydraulic presses to suit a wealth of applications. This means we’re ideally placed to help find the ideal product to suit your requirements.
2. What Is a Laboratory Hydraulic Press Used For?When used in a lab, hydraulic presses are often required to:
Here are some specific examples of where these applications are seen…
Sample Preparation for SpectroscopyA hydraulic press is essential to create KBr (potassium bromide) pellets for FTIR, as well as general sample pellets for XRF.
FTIR is a type of spectroscopy that uses infrared light to study the properties of matter. In order to study the molecular structure of a powder sample, it first needs to be diluted in a transparent material – which is where the hydraulic press comes in.
When a mixed sample and KBr powder is compressed inside a die using a hydraulic press, its uniform force will produce a solid pellet which is mostly transparent to infrared light; but also contains a dilute quantity of sample, which is within the detection range of an FTIR instrument. The press applies an evenly distributed pressure over the sample, which transforms refractive material into transparent films that can be used for spectroscopic analysis. With the right press, this process can be completed in a few minutes.
Preparation of pellets for XRF spectroscopySimilarly, XRF spectroscopy is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials. By producing general sample pellets in a hydraulic press, the integrity of a sample can be maintained throughout the XRF process. By squeezing the sample between two pressure plates at high pressure, a hydraulic press ensures that the sample is completely compacted and ready for analysis.
The APEX 400 is an advanced benchtop press dedicated to the high-throughput production of pellets for this application. It is designed with users in mind who will be working shifts, producing 10s to 100s of pellets in one go. Its layout and overall size is designed to make working in this way safer and more efficient for the user, while ensuring rapid progress of the work.
APEX 400 Benchtop XRF Press
The APEX 400 is able to press pellets via one of two methods: in a single-stroke process using reusable steel rings and a special “ring die” to hold the sample; or in a two-stroke process using standard dies and our innovative “Quickshift Technology” to help quickly retrieve the pellet from the die without manual replacement of the die.
Powder Compaction for Composite Material StudyPowder compaction is a process used to create a wide variety of composite materials. It involves the use of a hydraulic press to compress powder into a desired shape.
Powder compaction is an important tool for engineers and scientists who are working to develop new composite materials – for example, in the study of ferromagnetics.
In ferromagnetism, a hydraulic press is used to apply a force to a material in order to change its shape. The force creates a magnetic field, which then aligns the spins of the electrons within the atoms of the substance. Here, hydraulic presses are used to control the strength of a material’s magnetic field. By increasing or decreasing the force of the press, the magnetic field can be made stronger or weaker.
A similar example of powder compaction is seen when creating metal matrix composites.
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are materials that combine a metal with another substance, typically a ceramic or a polymer. Powder metallurgy is the most common method for producing MMCs, and it typically involves using a hydraulic press.
First, the desired metal powder is blended with a matrix material. A press then applies force to the mixture, causing it to compact and take on the shape of the mold. The composite is then ready to be removed.
Material TestingPresses can also help to analyse a material’s performance during the manufacturing process. For example, a hydraulic press could be used to assess blocking resistance, by testing the capability of a print material to not adhere to itself when applied under a certain amount of pressure.
To test blocking resistance, a sample of material is placed between two plates. The pressure from the hydraulic press is increased gradually until it reaches a point where the sample can no longer be displaced; this is known as the ‘blocking point’, and is used as an indication of how easily any given sample might suffer shape deformations when stored in stacks on shelves, or in machines.
Prototyping Microfluidic Devices
Microfluidic devices are often used in the healthcare industry for tasks such as blood testing and drug delivery. Prototyping microfluidic devices can be a challenge, however, due to the small size of the components. One way to overcome this challenge is to use a hydraulic press.
The process begins with a mechanic punch; this creates a hollow cavity in which the device walls can be formed. The punch is then placed inside the chamber of the press, and under pressure from the hydraulic system, it drives two weldable plates together to form a single device entity. This method ensures that all connections have been secured and any fluid going through such connections will not leak out of the system.
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Pharmaceutical Research & DevelopmentThere are many ways that hydraulic presses can help with pharmaceutical research and development. One such example is dissolution testing – an important quality control process that helps to ensure the efficacy of pharmaceutical products.
Dissolution testing is an essential tool for making sure that drugs or drug substances are safe and effective when consumed. It involves testing the rate and amount of active ingredients which dissolve in a liquid vehicle; this helps to measure how much of a drug will be released into the body, and at what rate.
One common way of performing these tests is through the use of a press. The sample is carefully weighed, placed in a dialysis bag with a dissolution medium, and submerged in the vessel of the press. From there, it’s pressed against a die with 1-10 tons of force, repeatedly over time to ensure thorough mixing with the dissolution media. This mixing process helps to calculate how much material was released out of the system, and continued pressing reinforces accurate results by breaking down particles even further.
3. Types of Hydraulic Press ExplainedLaboratory presses are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. Which one you need will usually be determined by the intended application – as well as how well it fits with your lab’s workflow and user requirements.
Manual Hydraulic PressA manual hydraulic press uses a hand-operated lever to apply load to a sample.
A mechanical lever controls a piston which moves in a cylinder containing hydraulic oil, exerting pressure on a die or head containing the desired material. By turning the lever back and forth, pressure from the cylinder can be increased or decreased until an optimal amount of force is achieved for a given task.
There are no electronic components in a manual hydraulic press and, as a result, this machine is often cheaper than its automatic counterparts – but they also require more physical effort to use. As a result, they’re harder to use consistently for each task; there’s always a chance that samples are being pressurised to a slightly different load by the operator.
Automatic Hydraulic PressAn automatic hydraulic press works by using a pump to elevate a piston, which holds air or liquid pressure. This allows for incredibly precise application of force when the piston’s pressure is released and directed into whatever is below it.
Unlike a manual press, the piston is controlled by a switch or automated controller. This means they can be controlled to a high accuracy and repeatability; the pressure will be the same every time.
Automatic hydraulic presses, such as the APEX 400, improve the workflow in busy laboratories, as – once the press is programmed – it can operate autonomously, allowing the technician to get to work on other tasks. Not only are they far less laborious to operate than a manual counterpart, but they’re more accurate and consistent, due to the lack of variable factors during use.
Hydraulic Mini PressA hydraulic mini press is a small, portable press that uses hydraulic power to produce force.
It works by using pressure generated by a pump to move an oil-filled plunger, which in turn compresses fluids or gases to exert force on an object. Pressure is regulated by the system’s valves, which can be adjusted according to the requirements of the task at hand.
Mini hydraulic presses typically only weigh about 4 kilos, but are still capable of applying around 2 tons of pressure. The small size of a mini press is often favoured by pharmaceutical labs, who will frequently benefit from a hand-held, low-cost, and mobile solution.
4. How To Operate a Manual Hydraulic Press
Manual hydraulic presses typically consist of a cylinder filled with hydraulic oil that supplies pressure to a moving piston. Pressure is then applied using a hand-operated pump.
The material to be compressed is placed on the piston, which is then slowly raised to apply a force to the material.
The basics of operating a manual hydraulic press involve just a few simple steps…
A hydraulic mini press is a smaller, lightweight version of a full-sized hydraulic press. You’ll frequently discover them in pharmaceutical labs, polymer testing labs and undergraduate chemistry labs – as well many other places where pressing pellets for FTIR is commonplace.
Often weighing around 4 kilos, mini presses can still accurately apply 2 tons of pressure, just by turning a handle. As they typically produce smaller pellets for lab applications (7 mm diameter rather than the more usual 13 mm diameter), this enables an equivalent pressure to be applied despite the lower tonnage.
Many standard-sized hydraulic presses are manually hand-pumped. Mini presses reduce the physical effort required, without needing to pay for an automatic press. In addition, they need less counter space to use and store.
A hydraulic mini press also has the added benefit of a pressure gauge, so you can make sure you always apply the same load. This makes sample production far more repeatable, creating additional reliability in your testing process.
Why choose Specac for your hydraulic press needs?Specac offer a comprehensive range of sample preparation accessories for FTIR, including presses, pellet dies, high temperature film makers, and consumables such as KBr powder.
Besides these, a variety of other sampling techniques – including single and multiple reflection ATR, DRIFTS, and Specular Reflectance – are available.
Our accessories are customised and calibrated for the user’s needs, so why not contact our experts for a quote?
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