Because they move in response to the pressure in the hydraulic fluid, hydraulic press brakes are flexible and high capacity. Since the pressurized fluid operates the piston, the hydraulic press can be programmed to have different strokes for different operations and even different speeds within a stroke. Stroke length can be easily adjusted depending upon the length of the cylinder. The stroke rate per minute can reach 600 in some cases, such as high-speed blanking.

The main types of hydraulic press brakes are: conventional, NC, and CNC. With conventional machines, the stroke length and speed will be adjusted manually, which requires a knowledgeable operator. NC hydraulic press brakes are controlled by information fed through the computer by NC controllers. The time to setup NC machines is much less and the stroke cycle will allow a swift completion of any job. They work well doing repetitive jobs. The computer programming completely controls the operation of the CNC hydraulic brakes. Changing the parameters in the computer can control bulk pressing operations.

Although mechanical press brakes have a capacity of about 18,000 tons, the hydraulic press brakes in the United States supply 50,000 tons. Through the use of multiple cylinders, the programmed load for hydraulic brake presses can be applied to the main ram while a different timing and force are applied to the blank holder.

Hydraulic press brakes require less maintenance because they have fewer rotating components. The circulating hydraulic fluid will help to lubricate the machine. By reducing the wear and tear between various moving components with a well lubricated machine, it will further reduce the maintenance time and costs.

Today, hydraulic presses are made from welded steel; this provides strength and rigidity and reduces the amount of vibration. The hydraulic press brake makes less noise and the working pressure has a stepless adjustment application available. Adjustment is further eased as there are only three sliding parts within a hydraulic press brake: the piston, the cylinder, and guide ways. This trio of parts has excellent protection due to materials that prevent wear and tear. To reduce the wear and tear, make sure to have abundant lubrication with hydraulic fluids.

Slanting wedges can be found atop the hydraulic press brake. Adjusting these wedges makes it very easy to manually control the accuracy of the job to be pressed. Either the electric motor or the hand wheel will help adjust the piston stroke. The indicator displays the length of the stroke.

Now, hydraulic press brakes come with safety guards eliminating operators' safety concerns. Hydraulic press brakes have become very popular with machine shops and factories because they offer high capacity and flexibility with low maintenance.