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.
Are you interested in purchasing a custom hydraulic press for personal or professional use? Come to Quad Fluid Dynamics, Inc.,
today. We'll create a hydraulic press that fits your exact needs, so don't hesitate to reach out.
