The Amazing Design of Press Pits

In the machine molding process of today’s manufacturing firms, the design and construction of the press pits underneath the press machines are as impressive as the machines that are housed within them.

Long before the invention of machines that are capable of producing everything from a tiny metal coil spring to an automobile fender, metal work was performed by individuals working in tandem to heat and shape metal sheets into products for consumer use.

With the advent of machines that “pressed” metal sheets into recognizable parts, companies were able to mass produce items with consistency and speed unmatched in the days of hand crafted products. Adding to the efficiencies of the original press machines was the introduction of various power sources that are the driving force needed to press the metal into various shapes. As the ability to supply more force was presented, press machines were redesigned to allow multiple parts to be pressed at once; thereby increasing the efficiencies by double and sometimes more.


Modern day machine and molding presses utilize a combination of electric motors and hydraulics to produce the force that molds the products being manufactured. The introduction of hydraulics was key to the establishment of the product pressing format that is in production today.


Benedetto Castelli published a book in 1619 on the measurement of running water; which is considered to be one of the foundational works that served to develop modern day hydrodynamics. Interestingly, he was a student of the great Italian physicist, mathematician, and philosopher Galileo. Blaise Pascal is credited as contributing to the invention of the hydraulic press. Joseph Bramah was the first person to patent the creation; it is also known as the Bramah press. The element of the hydraulic press that makes its use so practical is its ability to create intense amounts of pressures using fluid through and exponential process.


Hydroforming is a process that is utilized in the modern area to economically press malleable metals into lightweight pieces that are structurally sound. This process is used extensively in the automotive industry for the creation of complex shapes. Hydroforming presses are utilized to create sports car frames and a variety of other lightweight sturdy products such as bicycle frames.


The foundations on which presses are mounted are custom designed through a reverse engineer approach. Construction firms work with the manufacturer’s specifications to form intricate reinforced concrete shapes; which often require multiple tiers, cavities, corners, and cutouts in the foundational structures. Adding to the complexity, these highly elaborate foundations must be precisely constructed to allow the press machine to operate properly and continually. Press machines can cost millions of dollars and are expected to produce products on a regular business with minimal downtime, so their precise initial setup is paramount to their longevity.


Wayne Bros. Inc. is a commercial concrete construction firm that has been in business for almost 25 years. They are located in Charlotte, NC. They specialize in commercial and heavy industrial concrete foundational platforms for large structures and complex foundation applications such as manufacturing press pits.
Some of our services

    * Industrial Contracting Solutions
    * Machine foundations
    * Machine foundations and press pits
    * Press pits
    * Grading contractors
    * Site development contractors
    * Concrete contractors
    * Total package concrete
    * Concrete foundation contractors
    * Concrete services

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Tennessee: Knoxville, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cookeville, Crossville, Johnson City, Nashville, Memphis
West Virginia: Beckley, Bluefield, Charleston, Clarksburg, Weston, Oak Hill
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Georgia: Lawrenceville, Columbus, Atlanta, Macon, Savannah, Fort Benning
Alabama: Auburn, Dothan, Phoenix City, Montgomery, Birmingham