Preparing A Hydraulic Moulder For Work

Wrought and cast iron remain extremely popular materials for decorative and functional construction. The techniques and tools used to produce them have advanced considerably over the years, and today a lot of the material sold as cast and wrought iron is shaped efficiently and economically by powerful equipment like the hydraulic moulder. Here’s how it works:

hydraulic moulder
Operating Principles Of The Hydraulic Moulder

A hydraulic moulder is a tremendous time saver in shops that need to produce large numbers of precisely-dimensioned steel pieces quickly. Hydraulic moulding machines replace the delicate and painstaking work of hand forging with the precision and efficiency of carefully-designed machinery. This allows less skilled operators to produce far more material than even a highly trained blacksmith could.

The hydraulic moulder works according to very simple principles. It has two main parts, the mould and the pressure plate. The mould is fixed to the machine securely and a piece of iron or steel stock (square steel, round steel, flat iron, etc.) is placed between the plate and the mould. The moulder then uses hydraulic force to slowly but inexorably push the stock into the mould, permanently changing its shape.

Both the mould and the pressure plate can be replaced to alter the shape and profile of the finished piece. Most moulders are powerful enough to operate efficiently on cold iron and steel, although some specialized models are also designed to work with heated metal.

Operating Safely

The first priority when operating a piece of ornamental machinery like the hydraulic moulder is safety. Only thoroughly trained personnel should be allowed to operate the machine, and it’s not recommended to let inexperienced operators run it alone. Because hydraulic moulders apply hundreds or thousands of pounds of force, they present a serious crushing hazard to inattentive operators or bystanders.

A good hydraulic moulding machine must have a prominent and accessible emergency stop button to instantly shut the machine down in case of an accident. This should be tested before every operating cycle to confirm that it’s in good working order. Operators and other workers in the vicinity need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times when the moulder is running.

hyraulic molder dies
Running Test Shots

The first step in running a hydraulic moulder is to select the mould and plate required for the next batch of pieces to be moulded. These are carefully secured to the machine following basic safety checks. A single piece of metal is run through the moulder to test the results of the setup. If the finished piece is satisfactory, the operator will start feeding in metal stock at a faster pace.

The ordinary operating speed of a moulder depends on its design and the operation being performed. Some moulders are capable of performing simple changes (e.g. a single bend) to metal stock automatically. Automatic moulders like this can achieve tremendous production rates. In most cases, though, the complexity of the finished design is such that the metal stock needs to be positioned and retrieved by hand. This puts an upper limit on the maximum output of the moulder.
As with any piece of powerful equipment, a hydraulic moulder is generally safe as long as its operator remains alert and attentive. Complacency increases the risk of injury, so it’s important to have operators review their safety procedures on a regular basis. As long as moulders http://ellsenornamentalironmachines.com/wrought-iron-hydraulic-moulder/ have orders to complete, stock to work with, and trained operators, they can crank out detailed and attractive pieces for hours on end.