What is a Hydraulic Jack?
Hydraulic jacks are a device which enables its user to lift heavy loads in a safe manner. They have a number of applications through a range of different industries, such as the automotive, warehouse, factories and even tradespeople.
Hydraulic jacks are made following the “Pascal’s Principle”. Pascal’s Principle is essentially the application of pressure in a certain way will yield the application of pressure in another way.
Hydraulic jacks are made from two cylinders connected together, with one larger than the other. The cylinders lift objects by applying force to the fluid in a cylinder which in turn, exerts pressure throughout and against the surface of the cylinder. With the addition of a smaller cylinder, it’s possible to generate more force from the larger cylinder, lifting larger weights.
How to use Hydraulic Jacks
More often than not you will be using hydraulic jacks to lift incredibly heavy loads; therefore it is essential that you are using your hydraulic jack correctly.
To use your hydraulic jack correctly, first make sure you have placed your jack on an even surface, with no grit, oil or dirt on the surface.
Maintaining Hydraulic Jacks
Maintaining your hydraulic jacks is vital to ensure that they continue to function correctly. To completely protect your hydraulic jack, it is important to protect them from the elements and from collecting dust and debris. This can be achieved by keeping your jack covered, and to ensure that the jack is not exposed to harsh elements for prolonged periods of time, as this will cause the seals on your jacks to prematurely deteriorate.
We recommend that you store your hydraulic jack with the ram piston retracted. This will prevent any damage occurring to the piston that will cause the jack to not function in a safe manner.
Types of Hydraulic Jacks
There are many types of hydraulic jacks available on the market, with all of them providing their users with different functions. Below are some of the hydraulic jacks that we stock here at SafetyLiftinGear, along with their many uses.
Standard cylinder jacks are extremely versatile; they can be used to lift heavy items and loads, or they can be used horizontally for pushing a load, or keeping an object firmly in place.
At SafetyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of standard hydraulic cylinders that have been specifically designed to endure the often harsh conditions of the modern workplace and construction sites. With cylinder jacks starting from 10 tonne through to 100 tonnes, we are confident that you will find the cylinder jack that meets your exact requirements.
For more information, or to browse our range of standard cylinder jacks, click here.
These are the smallest jacks that we currently have available, and are ideal for lifting loads in areas where you only have a small clearance. But don’t mistake their small size to mean that they are unable to withstand large weight. Some of these little jacks can take up to 200 tonnes!
We have a huge range of pad jacks available here at SafetyLiftinGear. Ranging from 10 tonne to 200 tonne!
Click here to view our full range!
Low profile jacks are similar to the standard cylinder jacks in that they are used for both lifting and pushing objects. The only difference is the size!
These are not as small as our range of pad jacks, but they are still intended for use for loads in which there is not a lot of clearance space. Just like their larger counter parts, these jacks can be used in a vertical position to lift the heavy load, or in a horizontal position to help either secure a load, or push the load.
We have a range of low profile jacks available here at SafetyLiftinGear ranging from 10 tonne through to 200 tonnes.
To view our full range, click here.
Centre hole jacks can also be used to lift heavy objects and push objects like the cylinder, low profile and pad jacks. They also have an additional pulling feature. The jack has a hole that runs through the centre of the ram which can be used to feed a chain through to help create tension. These are used to tighten wire ropes on structures like suspension bridges.
Here at SafertyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of centre hole jacks or hollow cylinder jacks ranging from 20 tonne to 100 tonne. So if you need a heavy duty centre hole cylinder, we are confident we will have one that suits your requirements.
For more information, click here.
Bottle jacks - whose name comes from the fact that they look like milk bottles, feature a vertical shaft which supports bearing pad, it is this bearing pad that directly takes the weight of the item that is being lifted.
Bottle jacks are most commonly used within the automotive industry for lifting heavy vehicles such as cars or Lorries to allow for inspection or service under the car itself, but this isn’t their only use! Bottle jacks have proven themselves useful in many industries such as plumbing, where they are often used for pipe bending, or material lifts in warehouses.
Here at SafetyLiftinGear we stock a range of bottle jacks ranging from 2 Tonne to 30 Tonne.
Click here to view our full range.
To view our full range click here!
First of all, let's clarify the difference between hydraulic jacks and other types of jack. You may well have a jack in the boot of your car, but this is probably a man-powered device, designed to lift your vehicle in the event of a breakdown or emergency.
Hydraulic jacks, on the other hand, tend to be found in more industrial environments, such as garages and workshops. These heavier-duty products, while still primarily used on cars and other vehicles, have a far wider range of uses than standard mechanical jacks - for example, hydraulic jacks are sometimes used to lift building foundations during construction projects.
Some of the hydraulic jacks that we sell here at SLG can lift loads of 30 tonnes or more - clearly, this kind of lifting power would be difficult to produce with sheer manpower!
So how do the jacks do it? There's a lot of complicated scientific theory behind hydraulics, but here's a simplified explanation:
Does that make sense? This is an extreme simplification, of course, and different types of hydraulic jack (bottle jacks, cylinder jacks, etc.) work in slightly different ways. Still, this should give you a rough answer to your question!
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