Double acting hydraulic pressure intensifier

A double acting hydraulic pressure intensifier comprising:

• a housing, the housing being formed from a body having formed therein a first high pressure chamber, a first low pressure chamber, a second high pressure chamber, a second low pressure chamber, and a valve chamber,
• a first piston arrangement having a first high pressure piston in the first high pressure chamber in the housing and a first low pressure piston in the first low pressure chamber of the housing,
• a second piston arrangement, having a second high pressure piston in the second high pressure chamber in the housing and a second low pressure piston in the second low pressure chamber in the housing, and
• a switching valve located in the valve chamber of the housing between the first piston arrangement and the second piston arrangement, the switching valve having a valve element having, at least over a part of its length, an outer diameter which is equal to an outer diameter of at least one of the low pressure pistons, the valve element interacting with the housing to selectively open and close pressure ports formed through the body of the housing,
• wherein the valve element comprises a first pressure area arrangement and a second pressure area arrangement, wherein an effective area of the first pressure area arrangement is larger than an effective area of the second pressure area arrangement, the second pressure area arrangement is permanently loaded by a first pressure and the first pressure area arrangement is alternatively loaded by the first pressure and by a second pressure smaller than the first pressure.