A foot-operated hydraulic press is to be installed in a school workshop. The press must allow a student to apply at most 600 N with the foot while delivering a steady compressive load of 18 kN on the job. The larger working cylinder cannot exceed a diameter of 200 mm because of space constraints.
(i) Calculate the minimum value of the ratio A1A2 that will satisfy the required load specification.
(ii) Using your answer from part (i), determine the smallest possible diameter of the large piston if the small piston chosen has a diameter of 38 mm. State whether the space constraint is violated.
(iii) Explain briefly why choosing a still smaller input piston would not be a practical solution, mentioning any two engineering considerations other than space.