uses for a 70 ton pneu press

I'm getting some machinery from a frind who is closing his engraving business.

One machine that I may drag home is a 70 ton pneumatic press. Presumably, this is what they would use when doing embossing.

I'm wondering what sorts of creative things can be done with a toy like this. Frinstance, could I create suitable dies and use it for stamping sheet metal? I've never been around any sort of stamping operation, so I'm not familiar with the various types of presses.



Seems like a solution looking for a problem. Also, a potentially very dangerous machine. This is the sort of thing I'd never lay out any money for- but might be worth the shop space, especially if it is free.

Does this sort of machine whack the work, or is it a slow continuous pressing motion? When I go to see the stuff this weekend, I'm sure I'll learn more about it.

ALSO- he has something he calls a "block leveller". Sounds like a special purpose vertical mill specifically designed for creating perfectly flat surfaces. he said it has a rotary cutter. More info to come. This is likely to be a machine specific to the printing trade.

Mash your hand Me being a pack rat I wouldn't turn it down if I had the room for it. Perhaps it can be canibalized and made into a real shop press .

while i don't know that machine, I'd take a pass unless you have something in mind for it...it'll take up space and time and gas to move. metal stamping presses are a different beast. they have to momentarily apply a great force; because the time is short the power is great.

look at it this way, if the the surfaces are 2' x 2' and the , 70 tons is only a couple of hundred psi...what are you going to do with that? be a bit like hooking up a 2 square foot piston to your air compressor. It looks like its intended to spread that force over the plates, IE it's not beefy enough to start concentrating the force).

I think that is a press for making rubber stamps. SHould be heated, I suspect. Could be used by a print maker for printing etchings, or for hot stamping with hand placed foil. Might be good for laminating or vulcanizing rubber or compression molding plastics. THis is probably a slow action press, if it is really air and not hydraulic, then there is probably a knuckle toggle action under neath. That concentrates all the force at the very end of the stroke. If hydraulic then the force is constant through out the stroke.
This would work for embosing soft metal like copper into a rubber pad, or wood, etc. Also would work for die cutting with steel rule dies. but would be slow. Probably designed to be closed and held shut for a period of time.
looking at the photo again, I see what looks like a large cylinder under neath, this looks hydraulic, which is better than air, constant force during entire stroke, cheaper to run, and no compressor needed, but noisy and if it is close and hold then the noise continues during the hold. Air is used for long hold cycles since it is more effecient for holding applications. Or air over oil, ie a built in air-hydraulic intensifier.

We have two very similar presses, made by Pasadena Hydraulics. It is a hydraulic press. Ours are 20 ton capacity and have heated platens. We use them for rubber molding. The one in the picture looks much heavier than ours. That would explain the 70 ton capacity. It sure looks hydraulic, though... has a sight window for oil level just like ours in the bottom. Looks like it's leaking a bit, too. PHI went out of business a few years ago, and I have been unable to locate any parts since then.

I'll bet you could really tenderize a steak with that bad boy. Save you a lot of pounding with a mallet.

And with the heated platen cook it too ! Wonder how long for medium ? Bill

To me, cooking a steak with it seems like a great use for it.
I wonder is that is how they make Steak Um.
You really might have something there.
I once crushed garlic in my Kurt vise.
I also cut French bread on my DoAll bandsaw.
I like to entertain my dinner guests.

--Doozer