The hydraulic press from terminator 1.

[Traab]

Anyone know how powerful that thing probably was? Im just curious as to how much pressure was exerted to actually crush that thing. Did a quick google search and all I found was links to the terminator wiki.

[factotum]

We don't know what metal a T-800 is made from (beyond it being described as "hyperalloy"), so it's kind of hard to say. A typical hydraulic press of the size shown in the movie can exert a force of several hundred tons, though.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

You might have a shot at putting a number on it if you come up with a theory on what it was for. This random big press in the middle of a factory floor, what does it do?

For instance: if you think this was a car crushing factory, the first number I can find for a car crusher is 159 tons or 2400-2500 psi (they give two different psi numbers for the same machine). So those are around that strong. While they probably didn't crush cars in that factory, the press in the movie, judging by how flat the robot gets, seems if anything more powerful than a car crusher, so at least that gives us a baseline. (Some random googling reveals at least one random company that makes hydraulic presses up to 500 tons, so it certainly could have been stronger.)

A deleted scene reveals the factory as the property of Cyberdyne systems. While I don't think part two ever made that explicitely official it would explain why the remains ended up in their hands. So given that, what kind of press could it be, something for hardening steel or cold pressing metals into shape or something? How do I even google that?

[Traab]

Hmm, perhaps knowing the max potential would at least put a cieling on what they could do? I tried calling that up, got a whole bunch of complicated formulas on how to figure it out, no straight up "The strongest press can exert x amount of psi."

[halfeye]

no straight up "The strongest press can exert x amount of psi."

Wouldn't that vary with the size of the bit?

I mean, if the standard surface is x, half the area gives you twice the pressure. Stilleto heels are dangerous.

[hamishspence]

A deleted scene reveals the factory as the property of Cyberdyne systems. While I don't think part two ever made that explicitely official it would explain why the remains ended up in their hands. So given that, what kind of press could it be, something for hardening steel or cold pressing metals into shape or something? How do I even google that?

The S.M. Stirling Infiltrator novels took the same approach - only Cyberdyne was a computer company in its very early stages. They sued Sarah for damages done to the factory - and the psychologists think that's the reason she targeted them - resentment - with the "machine war" being just a projection of the more conventional resentment she feels.

[halfeye]

no straight up "The strongest press can exert x amount of psi."

Thinking further about this, PSI is a measure of pure pressure, the internal workings of very small hydraulic machinery are likely to operate at higher pressures than big machines, because small surfaces make the actual forces small even if the pressure is high. If you need something more powerful in a big machine (even though the pressure is probably less than in a smaller unit), keep the pressure the same and increase the area of the piston. Even so, the pressure output will depend on the ratio between the working area of the piston and the area of the contact surface.

I'm treating this as a physics question, I haven't seen the film.