Category: Hydraulic

Hydraulic presses are powerful tools that are essential to many industries. These are also some of the most powerful manufacturing machines available, and they must be guarded properly for their intended applications. Ensuring that your press meets safety standards is critical to protecting your workers, your equipment, and producing high-quality products. Let’s take a look at the best hydraulic press guarding options, OSHA’s guidelines, and some tips to keep your press safe and working smoothly.

Guarding Guidelines for Hydraulic Presses

Guarding helps to protect operators and surrounding employees from hazards like pinch points, moving parts, and flying debris. Today, two-hand non-tie down controls are often required for hydraulic presses to ensure the operator’s hands are clear of the working area during press operation. If your press is not equipped with two-hand controls, guarding will likely be required by OSHA for worker safety. For certain applications, guarding is required in addition to two-hand controls. These guards should be durable, securely attached to the press, and capable of preventing access to the working area during operation.

Types of Guarding for Hydraulic Presses

When it comes to selecting the best hydraulic press guarding options, there are several different types to consider. Each has its own benefits depending on your specific application:

Light Curtains

Also called presence sensing devices, light curtains sense the presence of anything entering the working area via an obstruction to beams of light. When the path of light between the two sensors is broken, these devices will halt or return the press cycle, as programmed.

• Advantages: These devices are easy to place, and since they use light beams instead of solid guarding, they can be an effective guarding option for areas that are difficult to maneuver around.
• Disadvantages: Since they are not physical barriers, light curtains might not provide enough protection from debris. This may require additional guarding.

Fixed Guards

These are physical barriers that prevent access to the press’s moving parts. They are typically bolted or welded in place.

• Advantages: These guards are simple, durable, and effective at preventing access to hazardous areas.
• Disadvantages: Fixed guards may limit operator visibility and can make maintenance, tooling changes and loading of workpieces more difficult.

Guarding with Interlocking Doors / Interlocking Guards

These guards are connected to the press’s control system and automatically shut down the machine if the guard is opened or removed.

• Advantages: Interlocked guards can automatically shut down the press when opened, offering a high level of safety.
• Disadvantages: These systems can require complex installation and higher upfront cost due to integration with the press’s control system.

Adjustable Guards

These can be moved or adjusted to accommodate different sizes of materials while still providing protection.

• Advantages: Adjustable guards are flexible and can be adapted for different materials or tasks.
• Disadvantages: The adjustable nature of the guard may require frequent adjustments and offer less security if not properly set.

Press guarding isn’t just important for hydraulic presses. 

At AHI, all of our pneumatic, hydropneumatic air-over-oil and hydraulic presses can be equipped with a variety of flexible, customizable guards, light curtains and other safety devices.

View examples or Contact us to learn more >

Tips to Keep Your Hydraulic Press Safe and Functional

Maintaining the safety and functionality of your hydraulic press is a continuous process. Here are some tips to ensure that your press remains in peak condition:

• Regular Inspections: Perform regular safety inspections to check for wear, misalignment, or damage to guards and other safety features.
• Preventive Maintenance: Routine maintenance is key to keeping your press functioning safely. Make sure all moving parts are well-lubricated and that hydraulic fluid levels are monitored.
• Operator Training: Ensure that all operators are trained not only to use the press but also to understand the function and importance of the guarding system.
• Emergency Stop Systems: Regularly test the emergency stop buttons and other safety controls to ensure they are functioning correctly. Emergency stop buttons should be easily accessible, and presses should be equipped with lockout/tagout systems to prevent accidental operation during maintenance.
• Compliance Checks: Periodically review your hydraulic press setup against OSHA standards to ensure compliance and avoid potential fines or workplace injuries.

By understanding OSHA requirements, selecting the right guarding system, and keeping up with safety and maintenance, you’ll ensure that your hydraulic press remains safe and fully functional. Whether you opt for fixed, interlocking, or adjustable guards, or light curtains, choosing the best hydraulic press guarding options for your operation is essential to maintaining a safe working environment.

Interested in a hydraulic, pneumatic or air-over-oil press with custom guarding to fit your application? Request a press quote today ›

Manufacturing presses are a big investment, and an important part of your business. Preventative maintenance not only keeps your press in good working order, but it also helps to extend the life of the machine. These essential preventative maintenance steps will help keep your press in great condition.

Essential Preventative Maintenance for Your Hydraulic Press

Some preventative maintenance steps are helpful for all types of presses, while others are important just for hydraulic presses. When performing preventative maintenance on your presses, a few tips can help make these processes easy, safe, and consistent. First and most importantly, be sure to follow lock out, tag out protocols before beginning work on any press equipment.

• Lock out, Tag out: Lock out, tag out procedures (LOTO) save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries every year. Before performing any maintenance, use LOTO procedures to prevent the machine from accessing power. The lock-out devices should only be installed and uninstalled by qualified and trained employees or subcontractors.
• Clear Instructions: Preventative maintenance procedures should be clear and direct. Written instructions and training should be provided, so employees know how to best maintain the machine.
• Clear Schedule: A clear schedule can provide consistency and ensure maintenance is performed regularly.

Hydraulic presses are extremely powerful and can provide smooth functionality for decades with the right maintenance. Many of these steps involve cleanliness and simply inspecting parts for problems. These regular inspections can help you find a small issue before it becomes a big one. Let’s take a look at preventative maintenance steps to perform regularly.

Maintain Hydraulic System and Fluid

Hydraulic fluid is critical for hydraulic presses. Without the right level of hydraulic fluid, the press will not operate properly. Maintaining the hydraulic fluid hoses, seals, and reservoir is arguably the most important preventative maintenance step for hydraulic presses. Not only is hydraulic fluid essential for operation, but leaks can also be dangerous. Regularly checking the fluid levels and the condition of hoses and seals will keep your press in good condition and maintain a safe working area. Periodically changing out the hydraulic fluid and filter, and replacing fluid that may have become dirty with use over time will also help ensure smooth and consistent performance.

• Hoses or Pipes: The hoses or piping that moves hydraulic fluid through the machine should be free of damage or signs of wear.
• Seals: Any external hydraulic seals should be checked for damage. If cracked or loose, they should be re-sealed or replaced. Any internal hydraulic seals should be checked if leakage or loss of hydraulic power is present
• Fluid levels: The guidelines provided by the hydraulic press’s manufacturer should show what type of oil the press should use, and how much. If the oil level is too high or too low, it will affect the press’s operation.
• Fluid temperature: The manufacturer’s guidelines will also specify the optimal and acceptable temperature range for the hydraulic fluid. If the fluid’s temperature is outside this range, it will also affect performance.
• Prevent cavitation: If pressure in the hydraulic system drops suddenly, cavitation can occur. Bleeding the press can eliminate cavitation, but this process must be conducted carefully. Be aware of the signs of cavitation, such as erratic operation, overflowing oil reservoirs, a whining sound, or inadequate pressure.
• Hydraulic Pumps and Motor: Problems with the hydraulic pumps or motor may cause an abnormal sound or excessive heat that will signal an inspection is needed. If you have noticed potential issues coming from your hydraulic pump or motor, you will want to have your press inspected by a qualified hydraulic system technician, or by the manufacturer if the machine is still under warranty.

Clean Surrounding Areas

Clearing dust and debris from the work area around the hydraulic press daily can seem like a tedious task, but it can go a long way towards extending the life of your press. Dust and debris can quickly stick to the press’s many moving parts and create friction, which will wear down the parts over time. Keeping the area clean and preventing the build-up of dust is a regular task that will improve the everyday operation of the press, and also make it last longer.

Lubricate Parts

Proper lubrication is essential for any press, and it’s an especially important preventative maintenance step for hydraulic presses. Remember that over-lubrication as well as under-lubrication can both be problematic for the press, so pay careful attention to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This should be clear to the employees maintaining the press, and training should be provided for operators to know and understand the optimal lubrication levels.

Tighten Fasteners

Hydraulic presses generate literal tons of force, and these heavy impacts can also generate intense vibrations which can loosen fasteners over time. Regularly check the nuts and bolts around the press, and make sure they are secure. If a fastener is loose, tighten it. This will keep the machine operating smoothly, and it will also prevent small parts from getting caught in the press.

Check Cooling Systems

Cooling systems such as fans, heat exchangers, or water-cooled systems prevent the hydraulic press components from overheating during operation. Clogged filters or water with high mineral content can cause the cooling system components to clog or stop altogether. Regularly checking the cooling system will help to prevent clogs and make sure your system does not overheat.

Check Electrical System

Hydraulic presses require a high-voltage power source which must be wired properly. If electrical lines are frayed or damaged, or if the machine is not properly grounded, it can create hazards. Check electrical lines and plugs for damage, and make sure they are out of the way.

Regularly performing these preventive maintenance steps for hydraulic presses can seem time-consuming, but these steps will help to prevent expensive downtime and costly repairs. Make sure press operators or maintenance staff know how and when to perform these tasks, and know what to look for to identify problems. If you suspect your press has an issue or it isn’t performing as well as you’d like, contact us. We can help you identify the issue and a solution.

A hydraulic press is an exceptionally powerful machine that is critical to manufacturing a wide variety of equipment across many different industries. However, hydraulic presses are also expensive, and labor-intensive to maintain. It’s good to know your options when looking at presses that perform various applications, and understand when you ultimately need a hydraulic press over a less costly alternative.

Types of Presses

There are many different types of presses, which have been evolving since the early factory presses were used in the 1500’s. Some of the largest presses can exert up to 80,000 tons of force, while smaller presses can exert as low as 150 lbs of force. This opens up factory presses to a wide range of different applications. However, it can be difficult to choose which type of press is best for your needs. A hydraulic press is often the default choice, but it is not always the optimal choice. Let’s take a look at the situations that require a hydraulic press, and when alternatives can be used.

Interested in the perfect alternative to a 10-ton hydraulic press? See the AHI solution › 

When Do You Need a Hydraulic Press?

Longer Stroke Length

You need a hydraulic press in a few unique situations. Though it’s ideal for the machine maintenance, process speed, and overall efficiency to use the shortest stroke length possible, many processes require longer stroke lengths. In these cases, a hydraulic press may be necessary. Hydraulic presses can have longer strokes due to their self-contained oil capacity, and a hydraulic pump can be designed to move oil pressure over longer distances. For parts, materials, or components that are large or awkward to work with, a longer stroke length can make it easier to manage the workpieces. Longer stroke lengths are also required for unique tooling operations that require deeper delving into the workpiece, such as pressing a bearing race 8 inches or more into a housing.

High Force

Hydraulic presses typically exert more force than other types of presses. Though hydropneumatic presses, in particular, can also exert large amounts of force, hydraulic presses are ideal for very heavy-duty applications. This might include heavy broaching applications, parts with larger dimensions or thicker material, applications with tighter tolerances or jobs that require deeper press fits. In these cases, hydraulic may be your best bet for consistent quality and performance.

High Retract Force

When working with heavy pieces of tooling, such as large die sets, hydraulic presses can be ideal. Hydraulic presses use pressurized hydraulic oil to exert force as the cylinder retracts. This allows them to effectively move larger, heavier pieces of tooling. Other types of presses do not have this amount of force on retraction, and won’t be able to effectively pull heavy tooling away from the part after pressing.

Force and Depth

Some applications have to drive a part further than ½ inch with 20, 30, or 50 tons of force at full power. This is generally out of the scope for hydropneumatic presses that are often great alternatives to hydraulic. Within this range, a full hydraulic machine like our HP-Series Hydraulic Press would generally be recommended, though the ideal type of hydraulic press can vary based on the specifics of the process and the part.

Range of Pressing Applications

Hydraulic presses also offer some flexibility in terms of application use. Whereas many presses are better suited to consistently deliver on one precise set of operations, a hydraulic press can often serve a range of applications with varying required force. The force delivered by a hydraulic press is adjustable with precise control, and the longer stroke length can be applied to more complex jobs, like deep drawing, in addition to simpler applications. If you are running a flexible production where you need a press to perform multiple applications, hydraulic may be the best choice.

Finding the Right Press

The previous sections outline situations that are ideal for a hydraulic press. Outside of these requirements, you can likely make your process more efficient by utilizing alternatives to full hydraulic machinery. Hydropneumatic presses and pneumatic presses offer a variety of force levels, as well as many other advantages like speed of operation. Alternatives to a hydraulic press can provide energy savings, reduced maintenance costs, safer operation, and much more.

As you consider different types of presses for your process, it can be helpful to compare hydraulic, hydropneumatic, and pneumatic presses to see which would be the best for your project. It’s also helpful to find the right amount of force required for your press, otherwise you might be looking for a press that is overpowered, and will expend unnecessary energy.

The experts at Air-Hydraulics Incorporated can help you find factory presses that meet or exceed the needs of your process. Contact us today and tell us about your applications and we’ll walk through the best options we have available, answering any questions you may have to make sure you’re set up with the best press for your production.