Hydraulic Cylinder Design Guide: Force Calculation, Types and Selectio

Hydraulic Cylinder Design Guide: Force Calculation, Types and Selection | Hidroman

Hydraulic Cylinders: Force Calculation, Types, Sealing Systems and Correct Selection Guide

Hydraulic cylinders are the core components that convert hydraulic energy into linear mechanical motion. In modern industry, correct cylinder sizing and configuration directly determine system efficiency, service life, and total cost of ownership.

This comprehensive Hidroman engineering guide explains:

Force calculation and sizing

Cylinder types and design structures

Mounting configurations

Cushioning and flow control

Sealing technologies

OEM-oriented selection methodology

Designed for European OEMs, machine builders, steel mills, automation integrators, and maintenance engineers.

How a Hydraulic Cylinder Works

A hydraulic cylinder generates linear force when pressurized fluid acts on the piston surface.

Force (F) = Pressure (P) × Effective Area (A)

Key implications for system design:

Larger piston diameter → higher force

Rod side area is smaller → lower pulling force

Flow rate determines speed

Pressure determines force

For example:

A Ø100 mm piston at:

100 bar → ~7.85 tons pushing force

200 bar → ~15.7 tons pushing force

Rod-side pulling force is lower due to reduced effective area.

Single Rod vs Double Rod Cylinders

Single Rod Cylinders

Most widely used in industrial applications.

Advantages:

Higher pushing force

Different speeds in extension/retraction

Ideal for presses, lifting systems, and heavy-duty machinery

Large piston area → slower movement
Small rod-side area → faster return

Double Rod Cylinders

Equal effective area on both sides.

Benefits:

Equal force in both directions

Equal speed in both directions

Perfect for synchronized automation systems

Special Hydraulic Cylinder Types

Plunger Cylinders

Pressure applied in one direction only

Return via gravity or external force

Used in heavy lifting applications

Spring Return Cylinders

Hydraulic extension

Spring-powered retraction

Suitable for safety-critical operations

Telescopic Cylinders

Long stroke with short closed length

Multi-stage design

Common in dump trucks and mobile hydraulics

Tandem Cylinders

Two pistons in series

Higher force without increasing bore size

Ideal for high-tonnage presses

Rapid Advance Cylinders

Fast movement without load

High force under load

Reduces cycle time in production lines

Servo Cylinders

High precision position control

Used in testing systems and advanced automation

Cylinder Construction Types

Tie-Rod Cylinders

Compact design

Medium pressure applications

Machine tools, automotive lines, packaging systems

Welded / Round Body Cylinders

High pressure resistance

Heavy-duty environments

Steel mills, presses, construction machinery

Mounting Configurations and Engineering Considerations

Correct mounting increases cylinder life and prevents premature failures.

Common mounting types:

Flange mounting (high-force applications)

Foot mounting

Clevis mounting

Spherical bearing mounting

Center trunnion mounting

Engineering rule:

Mounting bolts must not be exposed to direct shear loads.

For long strokes, pivoting mounts reduce buckling risk and improve alignment.

Cushioning, Air Bleeding and Flow Control

Performance-critical auxiliary features:

End-of-stroke cushioning → impact reduction

Check valves → controlled flow direction

Flow control valves → speed adjustment

Air bleed valves → system stability

Essential in high-speed and heavy-load applications.

Sealing Systems in Hydraulic Cylinders

Sealing is required in three main zones:

Piston sealing (dynamic)

Rod sealing (dynamic)

Cap sealing (static)

Seal types and applications:

Low-friction seals → high speed applications

U-cup / heavy-duty seals → high pressure and steel industry

Nutrings → general industrial use

Compact seals → modern multi-purpose solutions

Correct seal selection significantly reduces leakage, wear, and maintenance costs.

Hydraulic Cylinder Selection Checklist

Before selecting a cylinder, Hidroman engineering evaluates:

Load alignment and side load risk

Required force vs system pressure

Bore and rod diameter sizing

Stroke length and buckling calculation

Mounting geometry

Operating speed and flow rate

Seal material compatibility

Incorrect sizing leads to:

❌ Rod bending
❌ Seal failure
❌ Insufficient force
❌ Reduced service life

Industrial Applications

Hidroman hydraulic cylinders are engineered for:

Steel mills and rolling lines

Heavy-duty presses

Construction and mobile machinery

Automation and assembly systems

Packaging machines

Lifting and positioning equipment

Hidroman Engineering Approach for European OEMs

We do not simply supply cylinders — we deliver application-specific hydraulic engineering solutions:

✔ Bore and stroke optimization
✔ Pressure and flow analysis
✔ Mounting-based structural design
✔ Seal and material engineering
✔ Full OEM compatibility

Result:

Longer service life

Lower maintenance cost

Higher energy efficiency

Maximum system reliability

Performance Starts with Correct Cylinder Engineering

A hydraulic cylinder is not just a component — it is a load-bearing structural actuator that must be engineered according to force, motion, mounting, and sealing parameters.

Proper selection ensures:

✔ Higher productivity
✔ Reduced downtime
✔ Improved safety
✔ Lower total cost of ownership

Hidroman supports European manufacturers with high-performance, OEM-ready hydraulic cylinder solutions tailored to demanding industrial environments.

All hydraulic components required for your machine are offered to you from a single address. With 20 years of experience in hydraulic system engineering, strong collaborations with the world's distinguished brands and following new technologies in the sector, we offer you perfect and competitive solutions.

We produce special solutions for you.

Our Hydraulic System Engineers produce package solutions for you. Hydraulic Components such as Hydraulic Hose, Bent Pipe with Union, Connection Element, Pipe Clamps, Hydraulic Filters, Line Type Valves that your machine needs are determined on-site by our Engineers and all equipment suitable for your needs are listed after the necessary system calculations and offered to you as a package solution.

Our customers choose Hidroman companies due to the creativity and efficiency of our employees. We are committed to diversity, innovations, technology, and we invest in skills through training and development.

We understand you very well with our machine manufacturing experience dating back to 1950.

OUR BRANDS

We manufacture in many areas under the roof of Hidroman. We manage each product group and production groups separately to increase our service quality. For more information: www.hidroman.com.tr

As Seide Makina A.Ş., we establish Hydraulic Hose Production Lines with Fittings and Twisted Steel Drawn Pipe Production Lines with Fittings. For more information:

www.seidehydraulics.com

www.seidemachine.com

As Heben Makina, we produce mobile construction equipment with hydraulic systems.

As Hydraulic Market, we offer hydraulic equipment and services to our customers via the internet with our online sales platform in Türkiye. For more information: www.hidrolikmarket.com.tr

As Hydraulic Store, we offer hydraulic equipment and services to our customers via the internet with our online sales platform abroad.

As Pneumatic Market, we offer our customers pneumatic equipment and services over the internet with our online sales platform in Türkiye. For more information: www.pnomatikmarket.com

As Ata Hydraulic Cylinder, we manufacture hydraulic cylinders and perform hydraulic cylinder revisions.

As Hydraulic Service, we are not only there for you in case of Hydraulic System Failures and Sudden Stops, but also ensure that your hydraulic system machines operate with more efficiency with our predictive maintenance work. For more information: www.hidrolikservis.com.tr

Customer - Supplier - Employee Collaboration on Sustainability
Great marketing is a powerful tool for change. We work with the world's leading expert brands on social and environmental issues, creating work that addresses stereotypes, changes minds and encourages healthier and more sustainable consumer choices.

Our ethical standards
We aim to create a consistent culture across Hidroman companies and locations, helping our employees apply high standards and make the right decisions. Respect for human rights is a fundamental principle for Hidroman and we apply rigorous privacy and data security standards.

Hydraulic Engineering Solutions That Suit Your Needs
Meet Hydraulic Component Kits that suit your needs!

We work to speed up your manufacturing with Good Engineering solutions.

With our ready-made kits, we undertake your stock costs and assembly costs, so your valuable time is yours. We think and implement everything so that you can produce better machines.

Perfect Solutions with Our Transparent Approach
With our transparent manufacturing approach, we open the doors of every stage of our production to you. Don't waste your valuable time on hydraulic components, we work to offer you good engineering solutions. Let us do all your work on hydraulic components, focus on your work without wasting time on your machine's hydraulic system improvements.

Value Added Service
· Independent application consultancy and engineering

· Active support with the selection of suitable components considering technical and economic criteria

· Analysis and optimization of the current design and development of the new system

· On-site assembly training and hydraulic seminars

Fast Supply
Meet our flexible customer-oriented solution methods; we produce special solutions for you so that you do not have problems with supply.

Our Strengths - Your Advantages
· We make the necessary machinery and equipment investments on your behalf to increase your efficiency and performance.

· We produce extra values by reducing the total cost.

We open branches for you, at your location, specifically for you and only to serve you.

Hidroman Makes a Difference with Its Customer-Focused After-Sales Service Approach!

Hidroman, which has a 20-year history in the Hydraulic System sector, offers an after-sales service approach focused on increasing customer satisfaction with maintenance contracts that aim to reduce the operating costs of its customers and increase efficiency.

Hidroman, the innovative brand of the Hydraulic Equipment sector, continues to make a difference with its after-sales services positioned in accordance with the needs of its customers as well as the services it offers before and after sales. Hidroman, which aims to provide uninterrupted and safe services to its customers with its operations throughout Turkey and Europe, defines a perfect customer experience as product reliability and after-sales service reliability.

Hidroman, which has made being with its customers throughout the life of the product in order to create brand loyalty a part of its corporate culture, organizes the services it offers within the scope of After-Sales Services under four main headings as supervision and assembly, commissioning, maintenance-repair and original spare parts supply. Supervision service; It covers consultancy and training services on issues such as efficient hydraulic equipment selection, rules to be considered for correct product installation and connection of the pump with other installation equipment. After the installation of the device, the commissioning service is also carried out by Hidroman’s expert technical staff.

In hydraulic equipment technologies used in many different areas, malfunctions may occur over time due to operating conditions. During the 10-year life of a piece of equipment, the initial investment cost and repair expenses constitute 10-15% of its total cost, while the remaining expenses are due to energy consumption. Hidroman examines all processes from the selection of the hydraulic system to all the equipment on which the hydraulic system will operate, and offers “efficient system solutions that aim to minimize energy consumption”.

In addition, with preventive and protective maintenance agreements, it aims to reduce the risk of failure of the device, extend its life and ensure that the device operates with high efficiency and low energy consumption.

Thanks to the advantages offered by Hidroman with preventive and protective maintenance services, the budget allocated by its customers for maintenance pays for itself in a short time.

In businesses where uninterrupted service is important, Hidroman intervenes in malfunctions in a short time and minimizes damages caused by labor losses. Offering its customers a 10-year original spare part guarantee in the hydraulic systems it sells, Hidroman delivers tested original spare parts from stock in case of malfunction, shortens malfunction periods and eliminates disruptions that may occur during this period.

Hidroman After-Sales Services department stated that they offer annual maintenance services in accordance with the needs of the business. It states that their aim with maintenance services is to increase hydraulic system efficiency, ensure continuous operation of the hydraulic system and to detect, monitor and prevent possible malfunctions in operating equipment and devices by using technological measurement, control, analysis and monitoring devices.

We aim to standardize the service provided by our authorized services by inspecting them at certain intervals. In addition, we follow the calibration processes of our technical equipment in line with quality certificates. We attach importance to communication channels to be established in order to increase customer satisfaction both in sales and service. We are at the service of our customers 24/7 with our competent services that can answer the questions of our customers who buy our products by trusting our brand. In order to measure the customer satisfaction rate, we organize surveys for our customers at certain intervals through our call center. As a result of the feedback we receive, we take action quickly to meet the expectations of our customers. The nature of the products and services in the market is changing rapidly with the effect of the digital transformation we are experiencing due to technological developments. For this reason, we see the development in our products and services as a constantly living process and we continue our improvement and development works without stopping.

Hydraulic Cylinder Design Guide: Force Calculation, Types and Selection | Hidroman

Hydraulic Cylinder Design Guide: Force Calculation, Types and Selection | Hidroman

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