Techniques associated with hydraulic presses are wide-ranging and vary almost as much as their applications. But they all share one thing in common: presses enable the manufacturing of components via the application of pressure. In laboratories, many applications require pressure or heat to conduct experiments—including compressing powders into mixtures for XRF analysis, pharmaceutical development, molding plastic or rubber material into samples for ASTM testing, analyzing the durability and strength of materials, prototyping and more.
Every application has its own unique requirements for clamping force, dwelling time, temperature, and several other factors that are necessary to the creation of a successful sample. Therefore, it is critical to select the press most suited for the specific application to achieve the best possible results. Any special needs specific to the application should also be identified.
For example, ceramic powders play a crucial role in various industries where presses are often utilized. The particle size of these powders significantly influences their processing and performance characteristics. Ceramic powder can be heated and processed into variety of forms, but the standard shape for testing of these materials is a disc or pellet.
A pellet shape is common as it can be cut to suit the majority of the tests that will be performed upon it, including infrared (IR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. These tests typically use a flat cylindrical sample, and the ability to test the pellets without further cutting or grinding is a huge help. X-ray diffraction is typically better with a solid pellet as the concentration of the elements over a certain area is higher in density than that of a loose powder. This causes a greater amount of counts for the sample testing time. In addition, a smooth surface is preferable to a rough one from an optical point of view, with any contrasts much easier to view under optical microscopy. The equipment used to press pellets for investigation must therefore be engineered with precision in order to produce pellets that conform to these criteria.
A long history of presses
Carver first developed presses in 1912, originally for use in the cocoa industry. They have evolved in design and functionality over the last century. In fact, the company continues to offer its original hand-operated Model C press, while also producing automated presses with programmable controls in the AutoSeries line. Manual presses can be upgraded with automation and heating features, and options are available to improve temperature uniformity and platen parallelism.
Earlier this year, Carver launched a new stand with accessory drawers. Previous stands were heavier and did not allow room for storage, but this new line of stands has options and features to overcome this limitation. The stand, which can be used with Carver's Auto C, Auto M and AutoFour presses, includes two drawers for storing pellet dies and supplies, molds and molding accessories.
The stand’s open workspace accommodates laptops and other devices and accessories needed for pressing applications. A built-in power strip with 115 V and USB power outlets can be included. Made of extruded aluminum, the durable stand is equipped with lockable casters for easy relocation. Carver stands are specifically designed for Carver presses to provide an ergonomic work height when operating the press.