What is a Hydraulic Cylinder?

What is a Hydraulic Cylinder?

Hydraulic Cylinder

A hydraulic cylinder is an linear actuator that uses the pressure of a pressurized hydraulic fluid to drive a piston in either a pushing or pulling motion hydraulic cylinder .They are used in a wide range of applications to produce mechanical force in a linear motion and are found in equipment such as cranes, earth-moving machinery or metal sheet shearing machines hydraulic cylinder

The basic design of a hydraulic cylinder involves pumping a special hydraulic fluid (usually oil, although other things may work too) into the cylinder to create a pressure differential that drives a piston.20.hydraulic cylinder The piston rod then moves from one end of the cylinder to the other in response to the application of force. hydraulic cylinder The rod is often threaded so that it can be connected to various mechanical devices such as pumps, valves or motors.

There are many different types of hydraulic cylinders available and selecting the right one for your needs is essential. hydraulic cylinder You need to determine the amount of force required, whether it’s a lifting or pressing action, and also what type of movement is involved such as linear, rotary or oscillating. The cylinder itself can be made from a variety of materials such as steel, aluminium or stainless steel and the outer walls will usually be finished with either paint or a protective coating to resist corrosion.

Internally the cylinder will have ports for hydraulic fluid to enter and exit and these must be secure as a weak port can lead to dangerous leaks of hydraulic fluid under intense pressure. hydraulic cylinder The hydraulic fluid passes through a number of seals within the cylinder and these can be made from a wide variety of different materials depending on the function and type of cylinder. For example, cylinders that operate in high temperatures will require seals that can withstand the heat without melting and these might be manufactured from a material such as Viton. Cylinders operating at freezing temperatures on the other hand will need a harder polyurethane material such as Zurcon or PTFE.

The piston rod in a hydraulic cylinder is attached to the end cap and can be either single or double acting .hydraulic cylinder Single acting cylinders need to be driven by a spring or engine while double acting cylinders are self-acting and do not require any external power to extend or retract the piston. Tandem cylinders are also a common type of hydraulic cylinder and these use two separate barrels to achieve a large amount of force with a compact space. The end caps can be threaded or welded on and these will generally have a bearing load for each of the piston rods. Once the cylinder has been fabricated, the fitting department will put all the components together (rod, pistons, tubes and seals) by purchasing from a wide selection of high quality manufacturers. They will then perform rigorous pressure, pull and load testing to ensure the cylinder meets all required standards. They can also facilitate third party inspection agencies if necessary, such as DNV-GL or ABS.