What is Something a Hydraulic Press Can’t Crush?

Hydraulic presses are powerful machines capable of creating enormous levels of force, making them suitable for a range of industries such as metalworking, plastics/composite manufacturing and construction.

Lauri and Anni Vuohensilta of Finland have made waves online over the past five years by crushing things with a 150-ton hydraulic press, inspiring people globally by satisfying curiosity about what can and cannot be crushed through their YouTube channel. Their international following and curiosity-satisfying results have attracted people all around the globe who watch.

1. Diamonds

Diamonds may be among the hardest substances on Earth, but that doesn't make them unbreakable. Diamonds can actually be broken by anything applying sufficient force - from hammers and can openers to hydraulic presses - and this was why Finnish factory owner Lauri Vuohensilta and Anni, of Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube decided to put one under their machine as part of a test run.

Results were unexpected. Instead of shattering like an expensive ring would, this diamond simply embedded itself in the steel base of the hydraulic press and began rubbing off onto it over time. Although surprising, this demonstrates how even something as hard as diamond can be crushed with enough force applied.

Vuohensilta and Anni have made a career out of crushing stuff with their hydraulic press, becoming increasingly skilled as time has gone on. Bowling balls and ball bearings provide satisfying viewing, while steel pipes prove more practical (and safer).

In their latest video, they decided to push the limits of their hydraulic press by using a 1.2 carat diamond from a local jeweler for testing purposes. Though initially slow in taking its first bite, once it does so quickly becomes possible and eventually all of it falls through like sponge.

Hydraulic Press Channel has been satisfying viewers worldwide with videos like these for months now, satisfying millions of them with their need to see all manner of things being destroyed with hydraulic presses. But even they had to admit that in this instance they met their match: a powerful neodymium magnet.

2. Soft Metals

Metals that fall into this category generally possess low melting points and can be easily formed into different forms, as well as having loosely packed atoms for easier manipulation than harder materials like iron and steel. Some examples of soft metals include zinc, cadmium and mercury.

Though soft metals, some are still used in applications like electrical components, medical implants and metal coatings despite being nonconductive. Furthermore, jewelry and decorative items often make use of such metals.

Some may find it intriguing that there are certain metals a hydraulic press can't crush, such as concrete. Understanding why this is the case allows you to make informed decisions when using one.

Vuohensilta and Logan show how powerful a hydraulic press can be by using it to crush various objects made out of metals such as titanium, tungsten and inconel - each known for having tensile strengths exceeding 10k PSI. Although specific metal types used were not specified, likely alloys could have been employed due to pure titanium being difficult to press into submission without breaking up into smaller pieces and inconel having similar strength values as pure titanium and inconel being over 10k PSI respectively.

Hydraulic presses can be dangerous tools if misused and operated improperly, with hands and fingers injuries among the most frequent workplace incidents. Therefore, it's essential that users of hydraulic presses understand how they work, what to expect if required in their jobs, as well as safety equipment like face shields and gloves available from reliable companies in case any issues arise with operating the tool safely. If in doubt on how best to operate this tool safely consult an expert as reputable companies provide training and support so you get maximum use from their hydraulic press as well as safety equipment such as face shields and gloves to reduce injury risks when operating the hydraulic press safely yourself.

3. Motorcycle Batteries

Hydraulic presses are indispensable tools in any machine shop, yet can be potentially lethal if misused improperly. Their immense force can cause serious injuries if used incorrectly and have the power to crush even hard materials under certain circumstances.

Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube has garnered a strong cult following for its videos showing people using 150-ton hydraulic presses to crush things under its powerful pressure. Lauri and Anni Vuohensilta, who run this channel together, have made their passion for its destructive potential a career choice.

Since their inception, they have successfully crushed an assortment of objects such as paper, molten steel, teeth and fruit for play-dough in steel pipes - among many others. But one object remains resistant: magnets.

Magnets are impressively strong, boasting an incredible tensile strength of 130,000 psi and making them very difficult to crush - particularly if shaped into cubes. But why is a magnet still capable of resisting efforts made by hydraulic presses?

Hydraulic presses don't tend to crush most magnets due to their design; the upper and lower punches of a hydraulic press feature flat punches that never concentrate pressure in one spot on them causing cracking of magnets, unlike with regular metal stamping presses which do. As a result, many magnetic objects found within smartphones, like those shaped as cylindrical tubes like your phone battery are safe from crushing by these presses; similarly this applies for motorcycle battery packs used power your bike motor.

4. Beer

Beer (brewing alcohol as it's more commonly referred to) is produced by extracting raw materials with water, boiling and fermenting them into alcohol. Malt (kiln-dried germinated barley), hops and yeast are the three key ingredients. Evidence of beer making has been discovered in Sumer and Babylonia while Egyptian tomb reliefs show vessels used to brew beer; modern industrial breweries now produce large volumes to meet consumer demands.

PressTube has taken to challenging a hydraulic press with immovable objects in an entertaining yet inspiring YouTube series called PressTube, producing both entertaining and uplifting results for its audiences.

This YouTube channel's channel specializes in using industrial-grade hydraulic presses to place everyday items under them and documenting the results, smashing anvils, teeth, soap bars, Play-Doh in steel pipes and numerous other objects - but most viewers opt for watching when one or more machines is destroyed by another machine! The most watched videos include ones where hydraulic presssing destroys itself.

One of the most memorable scenes depicts a press crushing metal sheets made from 4140 steel, which have an incredible tensile strength of approximately 100,000 pounds per square inch compared to 20 pounds supported by paper sheets before getting crushed; these sheets can support multiple cars!

Other amazing episodes have shown the press crushing a car, bowling ball and stack of Lego bricks. With millions of subscribers watching their channel and an endless supply of items slated for crushing by their hydraulic press - what will be next up for scrutiny by this powerful force?

5. Books

Hydraulic presses have an incredible capacity to pulverize almost anything they come into contact with, from golf balls and hockey pucks to Nokia 3310 phones - but books prove more difficult. In this YouTube video uploaded to Hydraulic Press Channel, a Finnish factory owner attempts to crush one but fails miserably!

Last year, YouTube saw the rise of an unlikely hit - Hydraulic Press Channel. The channel features videos showing various objects being crushed using hydraulic presses in workshops - Lauri Vuohensilta has even used these machines to crush watches, alarm clocks, fruit and mobile phones!

Vuohensilta's most-watched video on his channel, with over 10 million views so far, features him testing out the myth that folding paper seven times with hydraulic press cannot be done using hydraulic pressure alone. His most ambitious experiment, however, attempts to destroy an English-to-Finnish dictionary.

The resultant video is pretty amusing, and its narrator does an admirable job of explaining why the book doesn't get crushed: thick paper can withstand quite a lot of pressure; and its pages contain wisdom which, even after being crushed under hydraulic press pressure, will continue to illuminate and provide comfort to narrator's lonely soul. For more engaging videos like these visit Hydraulic Press Channel...but just don't watch while eating or drinking something!