100 ton Hydraulic Press

A 100-ton hydraulic press is widely recognized as the entry-level and small-batch solution for precious metal pressing. It offers the right balance between pressing force, cost control, operating simplicity, and space efficiency. Below are the most typical application scenarios where a 100T press delivers the best return on investment.

1.1, Early Platinum Mining

Core Process Breakdown:
After pretreatment of scrap gold (crushed to a particle size ≤ 5 mm and refined at high temperature to a purity of ≥ 99.5%), the gold powder or small gold nuggets are loaded into graphite molds (inner diameters available in 20 mm, 30 mm, and 50 mm; height 50–100 mm).
The mold is placed at the center of the 100T hydraulic press working table, and the press is started. The pressure is gradually increased to 80–100 tons, with a holding time of 120–180 seconds to ensure full bonding and compaction of the metal particles.
After pressure release, the mold is removed and demolded to obtain gold cakes or gold bar blanks with uniform density (the final thickness is typically 30–50% of the mold height). These can be directly sent for purity testing and sale, or further refined in a melting furnace.

Compatible Material Specifications:

• Single pressing gold weight: 0.5–5 kg
• Powder moisture content: ≤ 0.3%
• Particle size: 0.1–5 mm
• Finished gold cake diameter: 20–50 mm
• Finished thickness: 10–30 mm
• Gold bar dimensions can be customized (maximum L × W × H = 100 × 50 × 30 mm).

1.2, Why 100T Is the Right Fit

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1.3, Business Value

Loss Control Case:
A small-scale gold recycling workshop (processing 30 kg of gold per day) previously used manual hammering for pressing, resulting in a loss rate of 0.45%. After switching to a 100T hydraulic press, the loss rate dropped to 0.08%. Based on a gold price of 400 RMB/g (~57 USD/g), the daily cost savings are calculated as:

30 kg × 1000 g/kg × (0.45% – 0.08%) × 57 USD/g ≈ 4440 USD/day,
resulting in annual savings of over 160,000 USD.

Efficiency Improvement Details:
Manual pressing of 1 kg of gold per batch required 20–30 minutes, meaning daily processing of 30 kg took 10–15 hours. With the 100T hydraulic press, pressing 1 kg per batch only takes 3 minutes (including loading and demolding), so processing 30 kg/day requires just 3 hours. The remaining time can be used for additional recycling orders, increasing monthly throughput from 900 kg to 1,500 kg and boosting monthly profits by over 28,500 USD.

Compliance and Market Advantage:
The blanks pressed by the 100T hydraulic press have uniform density, with purity deviation ≤0.1% when tested by authoritative institutions, making regulatory approval easier. Additionally, the press can produce blanks in different specifications (e.g., gold ingots with custom logos) to attract high-end customers such as collectors or small enterprises, achieving a premium of 5–8%.

2.1, Typical Application

Detailed Process Scenarios:

Sheet Rolling:
Gold ingots of φ20mm and 500g are pressed into thin sheets with a thickness of 0.3–1.0mm, used for making pendants and necklace links. The rolling process requires 3–5 gradual pressings (initial pressure 30T, subsequent increments of 10–15T, up to a final pressure of 80–90T). After each rolling, annealing is performed at 700–800°C to prevent metal hardening.

Jewelry Blank Stamping:
For products such as rings and earrings, customized stamping molds (precision ±0.005mm) are used to form the blanks in a single pressing under 80–100T pressure. The dimensional error of the blanks is ≤0.01mm, requiring only minor polishing before entering the setting process.

Chain Link Forming:
Gold sheets 0.8mm thick are cut into chain link blanks and placed into chain link forming molds. Pressing under 60–80T forms the slots and connectors of each link, ensuring smooth chain assembly with a tensile strength ≥50N.

Applicable Product Specifications:

• Rolled sheets: maximum size 300×300mm, thickness 0.1–2.0mm

• Stamped blanks: weight 0.5–20g, maximum outer dimension φ50mm

• Chain links: 0.5×0.5mm to 5×5mm, suitable for bracelets, necklaces, and anklets.

2.2, Why 100T Is the Right Fit

Process Accuracy Assurance:
Jewelry stamping requires extremely high mold alignment. The 100T hydraulic press uses a four-point guiding system with a guide accuracy of ±0.003mm and a worktable flatness of ≤0.02mm/m², ensuring precise alignment of the upper and lower molds and preventing burrs or dimensional deviations in the blanks. For example, when stamping ring blanks with the 100T press, the inner diameter error is ≤0.008mm and the outer diameter error is ≤0.01mm, far exceeding industry standards (≤0.02mm).

Mold Change and Production Efficiency Adaptation:
The press is equipped with a quick-change mold system using a hydraulic locking device, reducing mold change time to just 8–10 minutes (traditional equipment requires 20–30 minutes). It supports continuous stamping, with a single stamping cycle of 0.8–1.2 seconds (including feeding, stamping, and removal). Daily output for a single product can reach 8,000–10,000 pieces, perfectly matching jewelry factories’ “multiple styles, small batches” production rhythm (e.g., producing 10 styles of rings, 500 pieces per style, in only 6–8 hours).

Material Protection Mechanism:
The press features a “soft press” technology with adjustable pressure rise rates (0.5–2T/s). For soft metals like gold and silver, a low-speed press (0.5–1T/s) is used to prevent grain fracture or surface scratches caused by sudden stress. The worktable is also equipped with a 5mm thick polyurethane cushion to reduce impact loads during stamping, minimizing the risk of blank deformation.

2.3, Business Value

Yield Improvement Case:
A jewelry chain factory producing 18K gold rings (daily output 5,000 pieces) originally used a standard 20T press. Due to insufficient pressure and limited precision, the yield rate was only 88%. After switching to a 100T hydraulic press, the yield increased to 98.5%. Daily reduction in scrap loss = 5,000 pcs × (98.5% − 88%) × 20g/pc × $43/g (18K gold price) ≈ $31,500/day, with annual savings exceeding $900,000.

Process Expansion and Premium:
The 100T press can handle complex stamping designs, such as hollow patterns and multi-layered structures. For example, a factory launched a “hollow filigree pendant” series. Thanks to the precise stamping process, the product’s design appeal improved significantly, with the selling price increasing from $107/pc to $200/pc and the gross margin rising from 40% to 65%. Monthly sales exceeded 3,000 pieces.

Labor Cost Optimization:
Traditional presses require 1 operator per machine, so producing 5,000 pieces/day needed 5 machines and 5 workers. With the 100T press equipped with an automatic feeding system, 1 operator can handle 2 machines. Daily production of 10,000 pieces requires only 3 workers. Assuming a monthly salary of $800 per person, monthly labor cost savings = (5 − 3) × $800 ≈ $1,600, with annual savings of $19,200.

3.1, Typical Application

Core Production Process:

Blank Preparation: Melt gold or silver with a purity of ≥99.9% and cast into rectangular blanks (L × W × H = 100×50×20mm, weight 500g–1kg). Anneal the blanks (gold 600°C, silver 300°C) and polish to remove surface oxidation.

Mold Installation: Install steel molds with embossed patterns and text (hardness HRC58-62) onto the press. The upper mold contains the front design (e.g., logo, pattern), and the lower mold contains back text (e.g., weight, purity). Mold positioning accuracy ±0.005mm.

Stamping & Forming: Place the blank into the mold and start the press. Gradually increase pressure from 0 to 90–100T and hold for 90–120 seconds to ensure the metal fully fills the mold details. After depressurization, remove the product, then clean and polish before packaging.

Applicable Product Types: Commemorative coins (diameter 15–50mm, thickness 2–5mm, weight 5–100g), custom gold bars (length 50–100mm, width 20–50mm, thickness 5–20mm, weight 10–500g), badges (irregular shapes, max size 80×80mm), supporting precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

3.2, Why 100T Is the Right Fit

Embossing Quality Verification:
For commemorative coins, common embossing depths range from 0.3–0.8mm. Pressure tests show that at a 0.5mm depth, 80T pressure achieves only 85% pattern fill (edges blurred, details missing), while 100T pressure reaches over 98% fill (clear texture, strong 3D effect). For complex 0.8mm deep embossing, 100T pressure with a 120-second hold fully fills the mold, whereas 80T pressure—even with a 200-second hold—still leaves 10–15% of the design incompletely filled.

Batch Production Stability:
The press uses dual hydraulic pumps with pressure fluctuation ≤±0.5T. During 8 hours of continuous operation (producing ~1,000 coins), finished product dimensional error ≤0.01mm and embossing depth error ≤0.02mm, ensuring excellent consistency. Mold lifespan reaches over 100,000 cycles (ordinary press molds last only 50,000 cycles), reducing mold replacement frequency and cost.

Customization Capability:
Supports small-batch custom orders (minimum 10 pieces). Mold change takes ≤15 minutes, enabling rapid switching between different patterns and sizes. Built-in parameter storage allows up to 50 custom programs (including pressure, hold time, and stroke), so repeat orders require no re-adjustment, improving customization efficiency.

3.3, Business Value

Product Premium Case:
A small mint produces “corporate custom commemorative coins” (50g pure gold, 30mm diameter). Before using the 100T press, the pattern was blurred, and the selling price was only ¥22,000 per coin (premium 20%). After switching to the 100T press, the pattern became clear with strong 3D effect, raising the selling price to ¥25,000 per coin (premium 35%). Profit per coin increased by ¥3,000 (~$420), and with monthly sales of 500 coins, monthly profit increased by ¥1,500,000 (~$210,000).

Mold Cost Savings:
Mold unit price is approximately (~$1,120) per set. With the 100T press, mold lifespan reaches 100,000 cycles, making the mold cost 0.08 RMB (~$0.011) per coin for producing 100,000 coins. Ordinary presses have a mold lifespan of 50,000 cycles, with a cost of 0.16 RMB (~$0.022) per coin. Producing 100,000 coins with the 100T press saves ¥8,000 (~$1,120) in mold costs.

Market Response Speed:
The lead time for custom orders with traditional equipment is 7–10 days. Using the 100T press, this can be shortened to 3–5 days (including 2 days for mold making, 1 day for production, 1 day for packaging), enabling faster response to customer demands, attracting more urgent custom orders, and increasing market share by over 20%.

4.1, Typical Application

Educational Experiment Scenarios:

Materials Mechanics Experiments: Measure compressive strength, yield strength, and elastic modulus of materials such as low-carbon steel, aluminum alloys, and gold. Gradually apply pressure (0–100T) using the press, collect real-time pressure–displacement curves, and calculate material mechanical parameters.

Metal Forming Process Experiments: Study the effects of pressure, holding time, and temperature on metal forming quality (e.g., density changes of gold under different pressures, plastic deformation of aluminum alloys under varying holding times), providing students with an intuitive platform to verify forming processes.

Mold Design Practice: Students design small stamping molds (e.g., simple badge molds) and test them on the 100T press to verify mold structure rationality, enhancing practical design skills.

Research Applications: Optimize forming processes for new alloy materials (e.g., high-strength magnesium alloys, antibacterial stainless steel), conduct pressure-sintering experiments for metal matrix composites, and study press-forming for recycling of scrap metals, supporting multi-parameter control of pressure, temperature, and time.

4.2, Why 100T Is the Right Fit

Experimental Data Accuracy:
The equipment is equipped with high-precision pressure sensors (accuracy ±0.1% FS) and displacement sensors (accuracy ±0.001 mm), with a data sampling frequency up to 100 Hz. It can record dynamic changes in pressure, displacement, and time in real time, generating highly accurate experimental curves. The system supports computer connection and dedicated software for data storage, analysis, and export (formats compatible with Excel and Origin), meeting research-grade data requirements.

Safety Protection Details:
The machine features triple safety protection: ① Mechanical safety doors (cannot start when open); ② Overload protection (automatically releases pressure and stops if pressure exceeds 105%); ③ Emergency stop buttons (located on both sides of the worktable and the control panel, response time ≤0.1 s). A cushioning pad is installed under the worktable to prevent injuries from falling workpieces, fully complying with laboratory safety standards.

Teaching Adaptability:
The press offers manual, semi-automatic, and automatic operation modes. In manual mode, pressure rise, holding, and release can be controlled step by step, helping students understand the working principle. A transparent observation window allows direct visualization of the metal forming process. A teaching guide (including experimental procedures, data processing methods, and FAQ) is provided to assist instructors in practical teaching.

4.3, Educational Value

Improved Teaching Outcomes:
A metallurgical program conducted the “Metal Forming Processes” course using the 100T hydraulic press. After participating in experiments, students’ understanding of process parameters such as pressure and holding time increased from 65% to 92%. The quality of lab reports improved significantly, and course satisfaction rose from 78 to 92 points (out of 100).

Research Achievement Transformation:
A university used the 100T press to study the “Recycling and Reuse of Cathode Materials from Waste Lithium Batteries.” By optimizing the pressing and forming process, the density of recovered materials increased by 15% and conductivity improved by 20%. The related research results were published in a core journal and resulted in one invention patent.

Talent Development and Industry Alignment:
The equipment’s operation procedures mirror industrial production, allowing students to quickly adapt to hydraulic press operations and process tuning in metallurgy, materials, and jewelry industries after graduation. At one university, the employment rate of graduates in this program increased from 85% to 95%, with 30% joining leading industry companies.

5.1, Typical Application

Validation and Market Testing for New Products and New Processes:
Applicable for pilot production of new materials (such as rolling and stamping of eco-friendly nickel-free stainless steel sheets, producing 100–500 samples to test forming performance), process validation of new products (such as stamping chain links for lightweight hollow necklaces to test structural stability), and market demand testing (such as small-batch production of 500–1,000 mini commemorative coins for market feedback).
The system supports single pilot runs of 100–1,000 units, with a maximum product size of ≤300 mm.

5.2, Why 100T Is the Right Fit

Controllable Pilot Production Costs:
The purchase cost is only 1/3–1/2 of that of large-scale equipment, with no need for complex automated auxiliary systems. The initial investment is approximately USD 27,800–41,700 (RMB 200,000–300,000), which is about 50% lower than equipment above 200T (investment exceeding USD 69,400, RMB 500,000). In addition, no special foundation is required, and the machine can be put into operation within 1–2 days after installation and commissioning.

Flexible Process Adjustment:
Pressure (0–100T), holding time (0–300 s), and stroke (0–200 mm) are all steplessly adjustable. The parameter adjustment response time is ≤10 seconds. Multiple sets of process combinations can be tested within 1 hour, achieving a 6× efficiency improvement compared with large equipment (single adjustment ≥1 hour).

Strong Risk Hedging Capability:
With high versatility, even if a pilot project fails, the equipment can be quickly switched to small-scale production or laboratory testing, avoiding asset idleness. In contrast, large dedicated pilot equipment has low secondary utilization after failure, with an asset loss rate exceeding 80%.

5.3, Commercial Value

Shortened Pilot Production Cycle:
A company carried out a pilot project for a new titanium alloy jewelry line. After adopting this equipment, the pilot production cycle was shortened from 20 days (outsourced processing) to just 5 days. As a result, the product was launched one month earlier than competitors, achieving over 5,000 units in first-month sales with total revenue exceeding USD 416,700 (≈ RMB 3,000,000).

Reduced Investment Risk:
When a brand conducted pilot production of metal housings for smart wearable devices, it was found that the material’s drop resistance did not meet standards. The company promptly terminated mass production, successfully avoiding a USD 694,400 production line investment (≈ RMB 5,000,000) and a USD 277,800 raw material loss (≈ RMB 2,000,000), achieving a 100% risk avoidance rate.

Seamless Transition to Mass Production:
The optimal parameters established during the pilot phase can be directly applied to mass production, eliminating repeated debugging. This shortens the mass production preparation cycle by 30–50%, ensuring faster time-to-market.

6.1 Ideal Use Range

Material & Product Limits:
Suitable for materials with hardness ≤ HRC35 (precious metals, low-carbon steel, aluminum alloy, etc.).
Maximum sheet thickness: 5 mm; maximum blank weight: 10 kg.
Product dimensional accuracy: ±0.005 mm to ±0.02 mm.
Supports shallow relief embossing (≤ 1 mm) and simple structural forming.
Maximum finished product size (L × W × H): 500 × 300 × 50 mm.

Production Scale Compatibility:
Daily output ≤ 10,000 pieces (stamped parts) or ≤ 200 kg (pressed parts).
Single order quantity ≤ 5,000 pieces.
Suitable for multi-batch, small-volume, and intermittent production
(daily operation ≤ 8 hours).

Core Application Scenarios:
Small-scale gold recycling, small and medium-sized jewelry factories, small mints / custom gold bar production, university laboratories, and enterprise pilot projects.
Also suitable for standard workshop environments (0–40°C, humidity ≤ 85%) and basic compliance requirements.

6.2 When You Should Upgrade

Material & Process Breakthrough Limits:
When processing materials with hardness > HRC35 (high-strength alloy steel, tungsten alloy),
sheet thickness > 5 mm, blank weight > 20 kg,
or when deep drawing (depth > 10 mm) and complex multi-cavity forming are required,
an upgrade to a 200T–500T press is necessary.

Significant Increase in Production Volume:
When daily output exceeds 10,000 pieces (stamping parts) or 200 kg (pressed parts),
24-hour continuous operation is required,
or a fully automated production line is introduced,
an upgrade to a high-speed multi-station press (single cycle ≤ 0.5 s) or an industrial-grade large press is required.

Upgraded Precision & Quality Requirements:
When product dimensional accuracy needs to be < ±0.005 mm,
or surface roughness Ra ≤ 0.02 μm (mirror finish),
an upgrade to a high-precision CNC press (guiding accuracy ±0.001 mm) is required.

Updates in Industry Compliance Standards:
When stricter industry quality standards are introduced
(e.g., purity detection error ≤ 0.05%, relief depth error ≤ 0.01 mm),
and the 100T press can no longer meet the required process accuracy,
equipment upgrading becomes necessary to ensure compliance.