A hydraulic press is a mechanical machine that uses hydraulics to increase the power of a standard press. It was invented in 1795 by Joseph Braham and uses fluid mechanics to significantly increase the compression power applied through a press. The hydraulic press works by using two cylinders - a small slave cylinder where pressure is applied to compress a fluid, and a larger master cylinder where the fluid is pushed to, exerting a larger force through pressure transmission according to Pascal's law. There are various types of hydraulic presses used for different industrial applications like stamping, laminating, and metal forming.

1. Hydraulic Press
Muhammad Umair Akram#1
#
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department, NED University of Engineering and Technology
University Road Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
1
im079um@gmail.com
3
umair.an@ymail.com
I. INTRODUCTION
A hydraulic press is a mechanical machine used for lifting
or compressing large items. The force is generated through the
use of hydraulics to increase the power of a standard
mechanical level. This type of machine is typically found in a
manufacturing environment. Invented in 1795 by Joseph
Braham, the hydraulic press is also known as the Braham
press. He used his knowledge of fluid mechanics and motion
to develop this device. This invention significantly increased
the compression power. By applying hydraulics to a press, an
entire class of machines was invented. There is a wide range
of different hydraulic press machines, ranging from small
table top units for hobbyists to huge machines used to create
metal parts.
The primary concept used to provide power to the
hydraulic press is that the level of pressure in a closed system
is constant. This type of press has pistons with a fluid inside
that is displaced by the pistons' inward movement. The fluid
forces its way back into the space by moving the piston
outward. The additional power is created through the
movement of the fluid, which is confined to the system.
The concept of the hydraulic press is based on Pascal's
theory, which states that when pressure is applied on fluids in
an enclosed system, the pressure throughout the system
always remains constant. In simple words, a hydraulic press is
a machine that makes use of the pressure exerted on the fluids
to crush something.
II. HOW DOES IT WORK?
Since the hydraulic press works on the basis of Pascal's
Law, its working is similar to the one of the hydraulic system.
A hydraulic press consists of basic components used in a
hydraulic system that includes the cylinder, pistons, the
hydraulic pipes; etc. The working of this press is very simple.
The system comprises of two cylinders, the fluid (usually oil)
is poured in the cylinder having a small diameter. This
cylinder is known as the slave cylinder.
The piston in this cylinder is pushed so that it compresses
the fluid in it that flows through a pipe into the larger cylinder.
The larger cylinder is known as the master cylinder. The
pressure is exerted on the larger cylinder and the piston in the
master cylinder pushes the fluid back to the original cylinder.
The force applied on the fluids by the smaller cylinder
results in a larger force when pushed in the master cylinder.
The hydraulic press is mostly used for industrial purposes
where a large pressure is required for compressing metals into
thin sheets. An industrial hydraulic press uses the material to
be worked upon along with the help of the press plates to
crush or punch the material into a thin sheet.
III. TYPES
There are multitudinous types of hydraulic presses, with
each having its distinctive applications; however, here are
some applications that overlap with different types of
hydraulic presses.
Platen presses are designed to function by using a ram in
addition to a solid and a surface designed for stability. A good
example would be a C-frame press, which can be used for
various applications and operations, including banking,
straighten, drawing, forming, punching, bending and timing.
Vacuum and laminating presses possess several
specialized capabilities, which encapsulating numerous layers
of plastic materials for certain application such as credit cards.
Additionally, laminating presses have the capacity to apply
film. Another type of press that has specialized capacity is a
stamping press.
The stamping press is primarily used for cutting and
shaping materials through the process of deformation with die
used primarily in the automotive and metal working industries.
For the moulding and stamping of rubber, metal and plastic,
the transfer press works best, and this type of application is
used predominately in the aerospace and medical industries.
Forging presses are used exclusively on metal.
IV. APPLICATIONS
Hydraulic presses are commonly used for
 Forging
 Clinching
 Moulding
 Blanking
 Punching
 Deep drawing and
 Metal forming operations.