Many machines we see and operate these days are powered using a simple yet effective hydraulic system. The hydraulic drive system is based on science and maths that you may have heard of at school or university. It is featured in many pieces of machinery which are used in warehouses and industrial spaces. These machines include the hydraulic platform lift, which is a perfect example of how this brilliant system works.
Read on and find out how hydraulic machinery actually works.
Hydraulic Drive Systems
Hydraulic systems themselves are most often made up of three main parts. These parts are as follows.
- The Generator: This is a hydraulic pump which is most often driven by an electric motor or by a combustion engine.
- The Actuator: A hydraulic motor or cylinder which drives the machinery
- The Other Parts: This can be anything from valves, to filters, to piping. These are the parts which will control the system and guide its mechanics.
These parts make up the hydraulic system we know and use today. The design itself was patented by a man called Joseph Bramah in 1795. Bramah designed not only the hydraulic press but also the flushing toilet. Through his work on toilets, he realised the power of fluids and how they can be used to their best potential.
Pascal’s Principle
Pascal’s Principle is the aspect which may be remembered from physics classes at school. There are specific mathematical equations which explain how a hydraulic platform lift can gain the power to raise goods from point A to point B.
His principle states that pressure exerted on a fluid at one point is distributed equally throughout all of the fluid. Hydraulic machines use a liquid in the machinery that is incompressible and therefore will be able to be pressured from one point to another. A small amount of liquid at one point of a hydraulic will be able to move the larger amount of liquid at the actual lift point of the machine. However, the smaller end will have to move much more than the larger area.
As one professor put it, “If the larger point is 9 times larger than the smaller point, the smaller piston will have to move 9 inches in order to move the larger piston by 1 inch.”
Hydraulic Platform Lift Usage
Hydraulic platform lifts are now most commonly used in warehousing and industrial situations. They are the perfect tool for helping workers to lift heavy goods and other items. If you are looking to invest in a hydraulic platform lift for your workplace then you may want to consider talking to Mobile Scissor Tables. They are perfect for usage in so many different environments, including wet areas and low-temperature areas.
