Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator

Summary

Enter bore diameter, rod diameter, pressure, and stroke to get extension force, retraction force, stroke volume, and required flow rate.

How it works

1. Enter the bore diameter, rod diameter, operating pressure, stroke length, and cycle time in your preferred units.
2. Extension (push) force = pressure × bore area, where bore area = (π/4) × bore².
3. Retraction (pull) force = pressure × annular area, where annular area = (π/4) × (bore² − rod²).
4. Stroke volume (bore side) = bore area × stroke; rod-side volume = annular area × stroke.
5. Required flow rate = stroke volume ÷ cycle time, converted to L/min, GPM, or in³/s for the chosen units.

Use cases

• Size a hydraulic cylinder for a press or clamp application.
• Verify that a pump can supply enough flow for a given cycle time.
• Calculate retraction force for a two-way cylinder with a rod.
• Convert between metric and imperial hydraulic specifications.
• Check whether the system pressure is sufficient for a required load.

Frequently Asked Questions