Aug. 25, 2025
Machinery
How do you currently specify your hydraulic cylinders? Do you base your choice off of the specific needs of your application, or do you pick an “off the shelf” model and try to make it work? If you’re the latter, then you could be missing out on the true potential of hydraulic cylinders.
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Widely used across various mobile and industrial applications, hydraulic cylinders are often the go-to power solution for enhanced performance, energy efficiencies and precision control. However, if you don’t specify the right cylinder, you could experience a number of problems, including:
Any of the above could seriously halt or harm an operation, leading to lost capital and system-wide inefficiencies.
Rather than suffer through the common issues with standard cylinders, it’s best to do a little leg work upfront – or let a knowledgeable hydraulics expert assist you to ensure you get the best design possible. That all starts with asking the right questions.
By talking through the key design aspects of your hydraulics, you can enable higher efficiencies, improve system performance and enhance cylinder reliability. Here are the questions to ask:
The number one thing that you need to know before specifying a hydraulic cylinder is what the application is. That way, you can figure out what is required of the cylinder to meet that application’s needs.
Your application will influence everything about the design of the cylinder. For instance, if you only need to push or pull in a single direction, then a single action cylinder may be right for you. If you have a more complex operation where you need to both push and pull a load, then a double action cylinder is the way to go.
Thoroughly understanding your application can mean the difference between a highly reliable and efficient cylinder, and an underperforming cylinder that fails early.
Multiple forces can exist within a system, each one affecting a cylinder differently. Suppose your cylinder is not designed to properly deal with these forces at their exact magnitudes. In that case, your cylinder is likely to break down more than usual in the field, shortening the life of your design.
Common forces to keep track of include:
How far your cylinder needs to travel affects more than just your piston rod. In order to properly size each of the individual components of your cylinder, you need to know the required stroke distance of the device.
Different applications require different hydraulic fluids. Typically, hydraulic fluids are broken down into one of three types: petroleum, mineral-based or water-based.
Depending on the type of hydraulic fluid that you are working with, your cylinder may require additional components or a special seal package.
Extreme hot or cold environments add additional demands to the design of your cylinder than if you were operating in a temperate climate. Work by the ocean or need to spray down your equipment? Your cylinder design needs to be able to handle that.
Whether it is water from a washdown or process dirt from the factory floor, foreign material and particulate can be a big problem if it gets inside your cylinder. Any particles or blockage that work their way in will impact the integrity of your cylinder and its shafting. If this might be an issue, consider adding a scraper to your design.
How you mount a cylinder matters. Cylinder mounting can affect the performance and reliability of the device, either causing the hydraulics to be a seamless part of the system or adding extra stressors every time the piston moves.
Designing a cylinder so that it easily mounts onto a system will make it easier to install the cylinder, as well as do any maintenance work later on. Your operators and technicians will thank you.
Most every application has some sort of special requirements. Maybe you need added cushioning, or some means of deceleration so that the cylinder does not impact the rest of a highly sensitive system. Or maybe you have multiple cylinders working together in a master/slave set and your cylinder needs to synchronize with other cylinders in the set. Position sensing technology or “smart” cylinders may also be an option for more precision-based applications.
In addition to the above, additional questions may arise based on your specific needs and your supplier’s experience. This is where having a supplier with experience in your industry or application can prove invaluable. A quality supplier with a history of creating innovative cylinder designs will be able to draw from their experience and further tailor a solution to your unique operation.
Suggested reading:Want more information on Custom Hydraulic cylinder Manufacturer? Feel free to contact us.
Here at Columbus Hydraulics, we specialize in working with our customers to guarantee that they get the right cylinder for the job. With the combination of our quality base cylinder designs, technical expertise and custom hydraulics experience, we can help you find the right solution no matter your industry or application.
That’s why we recommend working with our experts from the get-go, so that we can “own the design” of the cylinder and help streamline your experience. After analyzing your operation, we can create a custom cylinder that best fits the needs of your unique application.
Custom hydraulic solutions provide your application with advantageous features and functionality. Custom solutions are designed specifically to your specifications as required by our application. This ensures that your needs and requirements are met. Let’s review what you need to know when getting started with custom hydraulic solutions.
Off-the-shelf hydraulic cylinders may require you to make compromises in your design. They may not have the exact fit or mountings that you need. Custom hydraulic cylinders are designed to your specification resulting in easy assembly, maintenance, and improved service life. This improves efficiency for assembly, maintenance, and use by the end user.
Custom hydraulic cylinder solutions take pressure, load, and environmental conditions into consideration during design, which allows the cylinder to function best in their specific conditions. Custom solutions allow you to address the problem areas that are specific to your application.
Using an off-the-shelf hydraulic cylinder boxes you into preexisting parameters and design styles that may not be the best fit for your application. Custom hydraulic cylinders are tailored to your specific application and requirements, resulting in a solution that adds the most value to your application.
There are many aspects of a hydraulic cylinder that you can customize to best suit your applications. Some of the key design considerations include:
The cylinder bore is the inside diameter of the cylinder tube. The cylinder bore, along with the system operating pressure, determines the push force that the cylinder can produce. At Aurelius, we work with cylinder bores from 1 inch to 10 inches in diameter.
The rod diameter determines the retract force and speed of your hydraulic cylinder. Our team at Aurelius works with rod diameters between ⅜ and 5 inches.
The stroke length of the hydraulic cylinder determines how far the cylinder can move a load. It is measured as the difference between the fully retracted and fully extended length of the cylinder. We work with stroke lengths between 0 and 20 feet.
The operating pressure for your hydraulic system must be factored in to determine the cylinder size and safety factors needed. At Aurelius, we design and manufacture hydraulic cylinders with operating pressures rated up to PSI.
Many industries can benefit from custom hydraulic solutions. When you need solutions that are efficient and reduce downtime while improving the functionality of your machinery, custom hydraulic solutions are for you. Some of the industries that can benefit most from custom hydraulic solutions include:
Industrial OEMs manufacture specialty equipment for industrial applications. Custom hydraulic solutions can be designed to the unique requirements of each application and can often be delivered at lower costs and shorter lead-times than standard industrial cylinders.
Managing large areas of woodland, right-of-ways, or producing timber requires equipment that can function in demanding environments and harsh conditions. Custom hydraulic cylinder solutions can be designed to meet these needs with ease.
Custom solutions can be tailored to the unique and demanding needs of the agricultural industry, enhancing safety, precision, and automation.
The construction industry encompasses a broad range of equipment and applications that can benefit from custom hydraulic solutions, which enable automation and enhance safety. Custom solutions can also increase efficiency from design to build for the manufacturer and for use in the field by the end user.
At Aurelius Manufacturing, our team has over 40 years of experience designing and manufacturing custom welded hydraulic cylinders for a broad range of industries and applications.
We are committed to quality, responsiveness, and short lead-times. Our team will work with yours to develop the custom solutions that add the most value to your application.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of dual hydraulic cylinder. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
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