Hydraulic Press: the Workhorse of an Industry

The hydraulic press is the workhorse of the factory floor. If a part needs stamping, forming or pressing, it’s the hydraulic press that is most likely doing the job.
 

Hydraulic Presses Everywhere

In one form or another, the hydraulic press is found in most modern industries. Here is a look at what they can do:

• Produce portion sizes of chicken, fish and other foods
• Trim metal on parts like transmissions
• Make electric parts for all types of appliances like stoves and washing machines
• Make seat belt retractors, carburetors, clutch friction material bonding and many other car manufacturing requirements
• Produce plugs and housings for the electrical industry
• Compact food like cheese, fish and meat, and package it
• Make armaments like shell loading assemblies, even to compact food pellets and fuel cells for submarines

The Bramah Press

The first glimmerings of the hydraulic press came to Joseph Bramah in the late 1700s while he was searching for a way to improve the flushing system on toilets. Though not an engineer, he was brilliant at tinkering. The range of his innovations is astounding.

Bramah had an eclectic background, which proved helpful in his search for new equipment and mechanisms. At various times he was a farmer, locksmith and carpenter. In his role as locksmith, he invented the Bramah Lock, considered the safest mechanism available for decades. It resisted the attempts of lock pickers, improving security wherever his lock was installed.

He wanted to mass produce his locks, but needed a better, more precise method than what was currently available. He teamed up with Henry Maudslay, a worker in his shop. Together they developed advanced machinery that produced quality locks. Building on this, Bramah went on to design the first hydraulic press, patented in 1795.

The hydraulic press is sometimes called the Bramah press in his honor. In Britain, he is called the Father of British Machine and Tools. Because of his insistence on precision and quality control, he is also called the Father of Quality Control.
 

A Most Inventive Man

Bramah did indeed go on to upgrade the flushing system of the toilets in use in the 1700s, even getting a patent for his idea in 1778. He improved it with a hinged flap in place of a side valve, which reduced the chances of the toilet freezing up in winter. This mechanism was used up until the early 1900s.
 

He also invented:

• Beer pump that raised the liquid up from the cellar to the bar at pubs
• Papermaking machine
• Fountain pen
• Hydrostatic press to remove trees by the roots
• Planing machine
• Paper money printer that added numbers in sequence automatically
• Extrusion process for lead pipes
• Process for manufacturing gun stocks

Modern hydraulic presses have a long and proud history. They are essential for keeping industry moving, the linchpin for a wide range of manufacturing processes.