The more appropriate question might be, “what can’t you do with a hydraulic press?” There are so many uses for hydraulic presses that there is even a Youtube channel dedicated to them. Here are some great hydraulic press life hacks:
Or perhaps you’ve pondered the age-old question, “How many soda cans can you fit in a Pringles can with a Hydraulic Press?”. You’ll find the answer here:
Of course, all of these things are just a bit of lighthearted fun, so let’s get serious for a moment. A good quality hydraulic press is an indispensable tool in every workshop and can improve productivity, efficiency, sustainability and even provide an additional source of revenue for your business.
Let’s look at how a hydraulic press can improve and grow your business opportunities…
A hydraulic press is a device that uses hydraulic pressure (via a hydraulic cylinder) to generate an extreme force on materials to compress, straighten, crush, bend, shape, flatten, pull, lift and pierce them. Usually, this material is some kind of metal, but the versatility of this machine is nothing short of amazing and resourceful users will find it useful for many applications.
The critical component of a hydraulic press is its hydraulic pump. A heavy-duty shop press will ideally feature a two-stage mechanism that provides even greater control and extra muscle.
Stability, precision, accuracy and safety are also essential, and when researching which hydraulic press to invest in, be sure to consider these things:
Hot tip: The Ranger by Bendpak range of hydraulic workshop presses ticks all the boxes!
Let’s return to the question of what you can do with a hydraulic press. The most obvious and frequent use is to flatten, crush and squash things.
The immense force exerted by a workshop press makes light work of flattening and crushing objects (as seen in the videos above). This benefits from assisting waste disposal in a workshop by using them to crush used oil filters and squeeze out traces of oil ready for recycling.
This can create an additional source of income for your workshop as crushed oil filters can be sold to scrap metal traders. Waste oil can also be sold to recycling companies.
Hydraulic pumps are also a key component in dedicated oil-filter crushers too.
A hydraulic press is an invaluable tool to bend, fold, and shape materials quickly and precisely when working with sheet metal.
Bent components can be a nightmare to repair and straighten in the workshop. But with correct attachments and fittings, a hydraulic press can apply even pressure to bent shafts, control arms, steering linkages and more. The ability to control the force with precision adjustments avoids further damage or ineffective repair of components.
When replacing bushings, bearings, pulleys and universal joints, the force required to remove and separate them is immense. A hydraulic press can use reverse pressure to complete these tasks easily and efficiently by utilising the right fittings. Thus, increasing your workshop productivity and efficiency.
Call on your hydraulic press to remove and install gears too.
Separating vehicle parts such as wheel hubs and exhausts that have been fused by rust is where a hydraulic press shines. Where a spray of WD-40 fails, a hydraulic press will rise to the challenge.
With the addition of dies, stamps and accessories, a hydraulic press provides a great solution when needing to punch, pierce and cut through difficult materials.
Outside of the automotive workshop, hydraulic presses have many applications and are used for:
By now, you should be convinced of the versatility and indispensable of hydraulic presses both domestically and commercially.
Genesis Equipment stocks a great range of professional quality hydraulic presses suitable for home or workshop use, and all are backed by Australia’s best warranty.
We are the exclusive Australian distributor of Ranger (made by Bendpak) workshop, auto care and tyre service equipment, and we invite you to reach out today to discuss your needs.
