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A press, or a machine press is a tool used to shape metal (typically steel) by bending it. The bends occur by a machine pressing, or applying direct pressure, to the material and forcing it to change shape.
An easy to understand type of machine press is a set of rollers. Metal is fed into the rollers, which are turning to pull the material through. The space between the rollers is smaller than the unfinished metal, and thus the metal is made thinner and/or wider.
Another kind of press is a set of plates with a relief, or depth-based design, in them. The metal is placed between the plates, and the plates are pressed up against each other, deforming the metal in the desired fashion.
Machine presses are used extensively around the world for shaping all kinds of metals to a desired shape. A typical toaster (for bread) has a metal case that has been bent and pressed into shape by a machine press.
History
Machine presses started as a hand-held hammer banging away at a piece of metal to shape it to the desired form. Later, larger hammers were constructed to press more metal at once, or to press thicker materials. Adding wind or steam power allowed for stronger presses. Most modern machine presses use a combination of electric motors and hydraulics to achieve the necessary pressure.
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