This is a hydraulic press used to separate liquid and solids. The liquid-Solid mixture is a waste from a food process, and it couldn’t be disposed properly in that state.

I adapted a pneumatic system to make it Semi-automatic.

The pneumatic cylinder operates the Jack and stops when a pre-defined pressure is achieved. When the liquid drains, the pressure drops and the cylinder starts acting again. When the jack’s rod is extended at maximum, a sensor detects its position, stops the process and starts a buzzer that tells the operator to retract the rod, lower the pressure plate and resume the process.

When both the jack’s rod and the pressure plate are fully deployed, the bottom horizontal base of the press can be elevated using the pulleys connected to it by steel wires (not shown). Once secured in a higher position the process starts again. At the end, liquid and solid materials are disposed separately.

Pneumatic and electronic controls not modeled.