Manufacturer of Hydraulic Presses

6 Ways the Hydraulic Press Beats a Mechanical Press for Shop Safety, Efficiency

February 2, 2023

 

Your machine shop will get the job out more quickly, safely and profitably when you invest in a hydraulic press. Its versatility runs rings around the limits of a mechanical press.

Competition is fierce for small- to medium-size shops trying in stand out in a crowded marketplace. With a hydraulic press, you can offer your customers accurate results, even when working with uncommon materials.

Jobs will go through your shop smoothly, speeding up the job cycle, reducing waste, and meeting deadlines. The result is satisfied customers and a healthy bottom line.

Here is a look at 6 ways investing in a hydraulic press can ensure greater safety, efficiency and savings in your shop.
 

#1. More control for improved safety

Both mechanical and hydraulic presses are safe if run by properly trained operators. But the hydraulic press has a major advantage. The operator has greater control of the ram movement, using a dual palm button that is non-tie down and anti-repeat. Additional features like interlocking guards increase the safety.
 

#2. Lower investment and operation costs

Hydraulic presses have many fewer moving parts compared to a mechanical press. That reduces the cost of your initial investment.

There are fewer moving parts, and the ones in the press are well lubricated due to the continuous flow of pressurized oil. That means breakdowns are easier to deal with.

Instead of a broken crankshaft, you’ll most likely be looking at smaller problems like replacing a value or solenoid coil. And due to the design of the hydraulic press, most repairs do not require taking the machine apart.
 

#3. More capacity at reduced cost

Buying greater capacity costs less with a hydraulic press. When you need a specific type of bed area, you aren’t limited by the tonnage of the press.

It is not unusual to buy 12, 18 and 24 inch stroke lengths, and larger sizes are simple to get. You can easily find hydraulic presses with larger table areas, bed beds on smaller presses, even a 200-ton press with a small bed.
 

#4. Fewer tool costs

Your tools will last longer, which can save you a bundle over time. It’s another advantage of the overload protection that is built into hydraulic presses.

Tools on hydraulic presses are designed to handle specific loads, so they can’t be damaged from a too-high load. Each tool is sized to fit the load of a specific job, regardless of the press. The operator is able to select the pressure most suitable to the job. Because there is less vibration and impact, each tool lasts longer.
 

#5. The advantage of a full power stroke

Mechanical presses go up and down, then up and down some more, over and over again. That’s what they do, and they do it very well. But that means you are limited in what you can expect from the press.

With a hydraulic press, you get the full power at every point in the stroke. With a mechanical press, the full power is in effect just at the very bottom of the stroke.

You get full power even at the top of the stroke with a hydraulic machine, giving you much greater versatility. And you save money. It is no longer necessary to invest in a 200-ton press just to ensure 100 tons of pressure throughout the entire stoke.

In addition, the operator can set up jobs faster. He no longer has to waste time altering the stroke nu on the slide to meet the requirements of specific dies.
 

#6. Overload protection

With a hydraulic press, you get the pressure you specify—no more and no less. It doesn’t matter what types of errors the operator might make when setting up the job, the pressure is what is selected. It has a relief valve that opens as soon as the pressure limit is reached.

This eliminates concerns about overloading the press, breaking it or breaking an expensive die. Your hydraulic press will reach the selected pressure and no more. That’s all the pressure there is.
 

Contact Press Master today to discuss how a high-quality hydraulic press can help your machine shop.