What is the Hydraulic Press Used For in Manufacturing?

The hydraulic press is used for a number of manufacturing processes. From forging to blanking and compress molding, a hydraulic press can help you produce high-quality parts at a fraction of the cost.

Hydraulic presses are indispensable tools for industrial manufacturers. Additionally, they're frequently employed in research and testing activities.

Forging

Forging is the process of using a hydraulic press to form metal billets into desired shapes. This can produce large pieces with high ratios of raw material to part weight.

Forged products are an ideal solution for many industries such as agriculture, automotive, aerospace and more. These forged parts are durable and resistant to harsh environmental elements.

The forging process refines the internal grain structure of metal to impart desirable properties such as tensile strength, ductility and impact toughness. Furthermore, it eliminates porosity and voids which could weaken metal parts.

Secondary processing such as heat treating can further refine this technique. However, forging has some drawbacks which could impact its production efficiency. For instance, it's not suitable for complex or intricate designs with cored sections or undercuts.

Blanking

Hydraulic presses are employed in many manufacturing processes, including blanking. In the automotive industry, this type of tooling is commonly employed for fabricating parts like sun visors and stick shift gear knobs.

Hydraulic presses are also employed in sample preparation processes, such as compressing powder mixtures into pellets for XRF analysis.

Hydraulic presses are highly-effective machines that can be tailored for each particular purpose. Their design takes into account the product being made, the necessary force levels and production rate.

Compression Molding

Compression molding is a manufacturing technique that utilizes heated and compressed moulds to form plastic materials. It's cost-effective, producing parts with excellent surface finishes and flexibility in part design.

Compression molding requires the use of various materials, such as thermoset composites and filler materials, depending on the application and costs.

Thermosets include Bakelite, polyester, polyurethane, urea-formaldehyde and melamine. These materials are often utilized in the production of large components due to their diverse properties ranging from corrosion resistance and durability to stiffness and flexibility.

Fibers are added to these resins during the manufacturing process, creating composite materials with improved mechanical properties. You can find these composites in a range of products such as automobile panels, battery trays and medical equipments.

Hydraulic presses are commonly employed in the compression molding process. This single-body, compact machine offers various operating modes - manual, automated and semi-automatically. Additionally, its long slide guide and lubrication system improve accuracy when manipulating parts.

Stamping

The hydraulic press is used for a number of manufacturing processes. One such step, stamping, is the act of shaping metal into desired shapes.

This process necessitates an exceptional level of engineering and precision, yet it is also one of the most cost-effective options for a given production run.

Stamping offers several advantages over other fabrication processes, such as low error rates and quick turn-around times. Plus, it can be highly automated for added efficiency.

Stamping comes in many forms, from hot metal to precision and progressive die. The type of stamping needed depends on the part being stamped and desired outcome.

Progressive dies are often employed to produce multiple parts in one stamping operation. These parts are fed from a coil of steel that has been unwound and straightened before being sent to the press with dies, enabling higher production volumes than hand transfer stamping as well as faster speeds of operation.