Dynamic Die: Matching Hydraulic Press Precision to Your Application

As highlighted in the article “Pairing the right hydraulic press with your application” from The Fabricator, the process of selecting an appropriate hydraulic press for your application holds paramount importance. The hydraulic press’s return capabilities can significantly impact performance. These capabilities include return on position, return on pressure, return on pressure with dwell, and their combinations. Notably, hydraulic presses offer remarkable flexibility—one of their key advantages. They can be tailored to return based on a specific position or force, and the retract position of the ram can be finely adjusted to align with your specifications. This adaptability empowers you to configure the press stroke precisely to fulfill your application requirements.

Irrespective of whether you’re working with metal or composite components, the decision to choose the right hydraulic press for your application is pivotal. By identifying the press capabilities you need at the outset, you can effectively mitigate extra costs and delays during the start-up phase.

While both mechanical and hydraulic presses extend and retract their rams, they diverge in the methods they employ.

Mechanical presses primarily operate through flywheel motion, featuring fixed top dead center and bottom dead center positions. In contrast, hydraulic presses grant the freedom to adjust the ram’s retract position. Furthermore, they can be set to return based on a specific position or force. This innate flexibility is a prime asset of hydraulic presses, enabling you to meticulously tailor the press stroke according to your application’s requirements.

When selecting a hydraulic press, the critical factor is ensuring its alignment with the application’s demands. The primary hydraulic press capabilities to consider are:

Return on position Return on pressure Return on pressure with dwell Combinations of the above

Return on Position Return on position stands as one of the most requested yet underutilized capabilities.

This press cycle involves the ram descending to a consistent depth, engaging with the material, and then ascending to the full up or up limit position.

While many dies meant for mechanical presses are designed for return on position, transferring them to hydraulic presses can lead to challenges. Hydraulic presses can experience breakthrough shock during punching and stamping due to ram resistance. This phenomenon builds pressure for forming or stamping, often causing erratic repeatability of the down limit position. Basic systems offer a repeatability range of approximately ±0.020 to 0.030 inch, which may suffice for many applications.

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Photo and article with all rights reserved, courtesy of thefabricator.com