Pressure distribution is not uniform, that's why we flip the hoops, for even pressing.
While I get PSI. I really do.
But its that stiffness, that springiness of the curd, and the distribution of that pressure (PSI) throughout the wheel innards, that I was trying to articulate previously.
I don't know exactly what the effects are, but I cannot help but think that depth of pile of curds (more stiffness, more resistance to press pressure) plays some part in the press process.
Hypothetical example:
Consider 2 wheels of cheddar being pressed at 5psi
Wheel A: 8in diameter and 6 inches tall
Wheel B: 8in diameter and 600inches tall
In my minds eye, the pressure in the middle of both wheels will not be the same.