Nominal, maximum, and burst pressure: let’s clear things up. These terms are often misunderstood or, even worse, used interchangeably. But here’s the truth: understanding their differences can be the key to building a reliable system or risking a serious failure.

In hydraulics, here’s what each term really means:
Working (or nominal) pressure: the pressure at which a component can operate continuously under normal conditions.
Maximum pressure: the upper limit of use. Going beyond this may cause damage to the component.
Burst pressure: a theoretical value – much higher – beyond which the component fails or deforms permanently. Keep in mind: this is not a usable safety margin!

A safe design always starts from the nominal pressure, applies an appropriate safety factor, and accounts for the fact that the maximum allowable pressure of the entire circuit is dictated by its weakest component.

Europress designs and manufactures high‑pressure hydraulic systems (from 700 to 4000 bar) in-house, pressure‑tested and certified according with international standards. Every solution is developed by our internal technical team to ensure the highest levels of safety, quality, and performance.