You’ve probably never heard of Blaise Pascal, but if you use hydraulic equipment, you should tip your hat to the 17th century French scientist and philosopher. He showed how large amounts of force could be transferred with relatively little energy due to the incompressibility of liquids.

That discovery has made all sorts of things possible, from automotive brakes to jackhammers. But before any of them can work, they need a power source. And on a construction site, that power often comes from a hydraulic power pack. Here’s how they work.

The concept is pretty simple: convert a primary power source into hydraulic pressure. It can be done with electricity or with an internal combustion engine. Since adequate electricity can be hard to come by on job sites, most contractors choose gas-powered models. But either way, the basics are the same.

Oil or some other hydraulic fluid is stored in a reservoir on the power pack. A pump then forces it to the tool’s motor or actuator to operate it. Of course simple principles aren’t always simple to apply. The hydraulic fluid must be able to flow in the proper direction at the right pressure and rate, and it must be kept clean and free of contaminants. To accomplish this, hydraulic power packs have valves to control pressure and direction along with switches and gauges to operate them.

Strainers and filters are placed in the hydraulic lines to keep the fluid clean and minimize wear on both the pump and the equipment it powers. And heat can cause hydraulic fluids to degrade, so cooling of the power pack—either by air or liquid coolant—is important.

Gas-operated powerpacks are a dependable, self-contained source of hydraulic power. Hydraulic powerpacks made by ICS® come in 18- or 23-horsepower air-cooled models to suit your jobsite needs. Their functional, ergonomic design makes them easily transportable to any job site. They are just two of a dozen hydraulic power packs available at Ace Cutting Equipment, from lightweight portable models to skid-mounted behemoths.

Using the right techniques and tools ensures a professional job and results you’ll be proud to show off. Whatever your concrete cutting, coring, and finishing requirements may be, equipment and tools from Ace Cutting Equipment are your choice for top-quality results.