What is the difference between hydraulic and mechanical press?

Small and medium scale industries use various types of machines for their specific job requirements. One of these is the hydraulic/mechanical press. According to the press, tool die manufacturers in Faridabad, these machines are actively used both in metal cutting as well as rubber moulding units. If you look at it carefully, the rubber bale cutter manufacturers use either hydraulic or mechanical power to cut through the thick bales of rubber efficiently. Therefore, the question arises, which amongst the hydraulic and mechanical power press is better and will give the operator a better bang for their money. In this blog, we have shared with you some details that we have gathered from mechanical as well as servo-hydraulic manufacturers regarding various advantages that these machines provide to the operator and which one is best for the job.

While both machines have several similarities like the straight slide or C frame, but there are major differences regarding the process of how energy to cycle the ram is created.

1). Mechanical power: As the name suggests, a mechanical press generates its power mechanically. In layman’s term, in a mechanical press, a motor is connected to the crankshaft that cycles the ram to complete a single operation. It is the motor that creates the momentum and it connects to a flywheel through the belts. In any simple punch press, the flywheel is attached to the crankshaft and is controlled by a clutch. On the other hand, in few figure punch presses, the flywheel is actually attached to a pinion which in turn is connected to an additional gear that is used to rotate the crankshaft. If the machine is a straight side press, then you will find that there are two pinions and the gears are fitted in such a way that they run the singular crankshaft.

Advantages of using mechanical punch presses

Mechanical punch presses have several benefits due to which it is preferred by those manufacturing units where speedy output is necessary. Some of these advantages are as follows.

·        Compared to hydraulic presses, mechanical presses run much faster. This leads to greater output, which results in higher productivity and an increase in efficiency.

·        The consistency of tonnage at the bottom of the stroke. When you use a mechanical press, the maximum tonnage happens in a very small range compared to the hydraulic press. This improves the speed at which a mechanical press can run because the operator knows the absolute limit of the press when it hits the bottom of its stroke.

2). Hydraulic power press: The name of this press indicates that it runs on pressurised hydraulic fluids to create the momentum. In this press, the ram is connected to a cylinder which in turn receives the hydraulic fluid through a motor that pushes the fluids. Compared to the mechanical press, the hydraulic press is slower. This machine is generally used for those operations where speed is not essential as well as for deep draw parts. The reason this press is used for deep draw parts is that the hydraulic power is able to create a more consistent source of pressure than the mechanical press. This type of press can be used for faster running parts as well, but its ability to run deep draw parts will get compromised in that event. To make sure that adequate force is applied at the bottom of the stroke is essential otherwise it can create an undue force which can damage the die in the press.

Advantages of using a hydraulic press:

·        The hydraulic press has a wider range for the stroke path because the compressed air in the system requires less motion to apply its full force compared to a flywheel that is attached to a rotating motor.

·        This type of press is very useful for smaller runs.

·        The force is not applied by the shut height variations.

Both these machines have their pros and cons and it is up to the different manufacturing unit to find the right one that will do the job efficiently and in the most cost-effective way.