What is this arbor press feature/fixture?

[GeoBruin]

This little Dake model 0 arbor press came up for sale around here and it would be a good deal for the press except it clearly has some kind of specialty fixture on it. There's nothing in the ad to indicate what it is and I can't figure it out. There's inlet and outlet lines for air or fluid of some kind and some kind of perforated base. I'm thinking someone is squeezing olives or something unual with this.

Any ideas?

 

[PCustoms]

Fluid lines for heating?

Looks like a thermocouple in the top half.

 

[Jayman17]

Looks like a press for saltine crackers. Seriously though, maybe some kind of vacuum clamp?

 

[GreenIron]

Plastic injection/molder?

 

[GeoBruin]

Fluid lines for heating?

Looks like a thermocouple in the top half.

Whatever it is, heat makes sense.

 

[GeoBruin]

Looks like a press for saltine crackers. Seriously though, maybe some kind of vacuum clamp?

Ah! I hadn't thought about vacuum. I wonder if there's enough volume there to throw the ball valve and maintain a vacuum after the vacuum pump shuts off.

 

[GeoBruin]

Plastic injection/molder?

That makes sense too. I wonder if the non-anodized aluminum piece is a swappable part and you can make custom molds.

 

[PCustoms]

Plastic injection/molder?

This would be compression molding, maybe. Certainly not injection....

 

[DGersic]

This little Dake model 0 arbor press came up for sale around here and it would be a good deal for the press except it clearly has some kind of specialty fixture on it. There's nothing in the ad to indicate what it is and I can't figure it out. There's inlet and outlet lines for air or fluid of some kind and some kind of perforated base. I'm thinking someone is squeezing olives or something unual with this.

Any ideas?

The top looks like it is liquid heated (or cooled) with a thermocouple to monitor the temperature. The bottom looks like a vacuum part holder. No idea what it was used for, but somebody put a lot of thinking in to whatever it was.

 

[GeoBruin]

So could the vacuum base be not a vise but something to pull air out of the curing thermoplastic/polyurethane? Does polyurethane casting require pressure?

 

[Hohn]

So could the vacuum base be not a vise but something to pull air out of the curing thermoplastic/polyurethane? Does polyurethane casting require pressure?

It's not so much that pressure is required as that good casting is best achieved when you have it.
Looks to me like the heat and vacuum features suggest a casting station where the vacuum helped pull air out and the upper portion was heated by some kind of hot fluid, with the thermocouple used to support regulation of the temp.

 

[GeoBruin]

It's not so much that pressure is required as that good casting is best achieved when you have it.
Looks to me like the heat and vacuum features suggest a casting station where the vacuum helped pull air out and the upper portion was heated by some kind of hot fluid, with the thermocouple used to support regulation of the temp.

This is the story of my life. I came looking for an arbor press, and now I want to get into low volume injection molding and vacuum casting.

 

[Hohn]

This is the story of my life. I came looking for an arbor press, and now I want to get into low volume injection molding and vacuum casting.

Well, you have the perfect tool to do it! We expect an epic thread.

 

[GreenIron]

@GeoBruin, can you post a pic of the underside of the upper (red) plate?

 

[GeoBruin]

@GeoBruin, can you post a pic of the underside of the upper (red) plate?

I can't. These pics were snagged from the Craigslist ad. I reached out to the seller to ask if they have any of the other apurtenant equipment and this is the picture that came back.

 

[GeoBruin]

I'm beginning to think this is less of a homebrew press and more likely some kind of testing apparatus since it's clearly being used in an industrial/laboratory setting. That makes it much less likely that it would be generally useful and/or easily reverse engineered.

I might be in over my head here.

 

[308guru]

If you just want a press wouldn't you be removing the fixturing anyway? Doesn't really matter what it's for if that's the case.

 

[GeoBruin]

If you just want a press wouldn't you be removing the fixturing anyway? Doesn't really matter what it's for if that's the case.

Oh for sure, if I just wanted the press I could take all the other stuff off assuming no permanent impact to the functionality. But I don't know if this is all that great a deal for a press with no plates or other accessories by itself. As I mentioned above, I thought I might be lucking into a small scale vacuum casting rig and it piqued my interest.

They want $250.

 

[RTM]

A brand new Dake 0 lists at 665, so a bit of a deal there. The shaft is probably already machined to take his fixture, but I imagine you could do that yourself (some of us are not so gifted). If truly a vacuum on the bottom, if it comes with a pump, vs venturi, adds about $100 value, if you can use it. The instruments for temp reading adds another $100, if you need it.

I was looking at it as vacuum drying, vs vacuum forming, doesn't seem to be enough negative space to work into. I know nothing about vacuum casting.

But I think you should run out and buy it just to inform the rest of us what it is.

 

[JradM]

I think it's a rosin press.

 

[Hohn]

Could be a Meet-the Press?
Or a Pants Press?

 

[TailGunner3000]

I can't remember exactly when, but I feel like I've seen something like this used to extract rare metals from circuit boards. Could be way off base, though.

 

[tarbellb]

I think it's a rosin press.

this is the Walter White of rosin presses if so

 

[PCustoms]

I can't. These pics were snagged from the Craigslist ad. I reached out to the seller to ask if they have any of the other apurtenant equipment and this is the picture that came back.

Did you ask them what it all is?

 

[Snip's]

WAG....

I can't. These pics were snagged from the Craigslist ad. I reached out to the seller to ask if they have any of the other apurtenant equipment and this is the picture that came back.

OK... So here goes... Maybe big stretch of the imagination... IDK
Last picture has what looks like a clear box containing cartridges / rolls for some kind of stuff??? Maybe continuous vinyl / PC sleeves?

Umicore is into lots of stuff... umicore... Precious metals etc...

It might be a heat seal setup for these...

Or these...

If so, ask them to include some product samples... You know... For evaluation purposes... And are non returnable samples...

Or, this is a bad guess on my part...
I'd still want the DAKE...

 

[Hohn]

WAG....

OK... So here goes... Maybe big stretch of the imagination... IDK
Last picture has what looks like a clear box containing cartridges / rolls for some kind of stuff??? Maybe continuous vinyl / PC sleeves?

Umicore is into lots of stuff... umicore... Precious metals etc...

It might be a heat seal setup for these...

Or these...

If so, ask them to include some product samples... You know... For evaluation purposes... And are non returnable samples...

Or, this is a bad guess on my part...
I'd still want the DAKE...

If I ran a private investigation firm, I'd hire you right now.

 

[Snip's]

If I ran a private investigation firm, I'd hire you right now.

Orrrr.... Could be a ravioli press...

 

[Hohn]

If I ran a private investigation firm, I'd hire you right now.

Orrrr.... Could be a ravioli press...

Hire you to be the head chef...