Resources
Calculations you can check, not advice you have to trust
Each guide gives the formula, a worked example using a real model from our tables, and the point where the calculation stops being valid. Where a rule of thumb has a limit, the limit is stated.
15 guides
ac hydraulic power unit
AC or DC power unit: what decides it?
Choose an AC or DC hydraulic power unit from duty cycle, not convenience. Worked example: 180 bar at 6 L/min needs 88 A at 24 V and 175 A at 12 V.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic reservoir sizing
How big should a hydraulic reservoir be, and what is it actually for
The 3x flow rule is not about cooling. Heat balance, dwell time for air release, and when a tank cannot reject the heat however big it is.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic cylinder manufacturer
How do you check a cylinder supplier before you order?
Eight questions, four documents and one teardown that separate a cylinder factory that tests its work from one that only ships it. Use before a first order.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic cylinder force calculation
How much force does a cylinder actually deliver?
Push force, pull force and why a telescopic cylinder loses half its force by the end of the stroke. Worked example on a 158/136/115 mm three-stage.
Updated 2026-10-28
cylinder datasheet explained
How to read a cylinder datasheet, column by column
Bore, rod, stroke, closed length, port size, pressure class: what each column commits the supplier to, and which numbers you have to ask for.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic cylinder seal material
How to specify cylinder seals: material, groove and service life
Nitrile, polyurethane, FKM and PTFE: what each survives, the extrusion gap table behind backup rings, and why seal life is measured in kilometres.
Updated 2026-10-28
telescopic cylinder stages
Two, three, four or five telescopic stages: what the number buys you
Stage count trades retracted length against end-of-stroke force: the geometry that sets the minimum, and when you cannot afford the number.
Updated 2026-10-28
cylinder cross reference
What does it actually take to interchange a cylinder OEM part number?
An OEM part number is not a dimension. The seven measurements that decide whether a replacement fits, and the four that decide whether it survives.
Updated 2026-10-28
heavy duty tipper cylinder
What makes a mining tipper cylinder different from a road one?
Cycle count, shock pressure and abrasive dust: the three variables that set a mining hoist cylinder duty rating, with the arithmetic for each.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic cylinder piston rod
What sets the piston rod diameter?
Rod diameter is decided by bending and buckling, not by force. Materials, chrome thickness, hardness and why the rod end thread is the weakest section.
Updated 2026-10-28
custom hydraulic cylinders
What should you send with a custom cylinder RFQ?
Twelve items that turn a custom cylinder enquiry into a quote: envelope, load case, duty cycle, ports, rod end, fluid and the six most commonly missing ones.
Updated 2026-10-28
welded hydraulic cylinders
When is a welded-body cylinder the right call?
Welded body versus tie rod versus mill type: the pressure and bore boundary where tie rods run out of margin, and what welded construction costs you in service.
Updated 2026-10-28
hydraulic cylinder mounting types
Which cylinder mounting type carries your load?
Clevis, trunnion, flange, lug or foot: choose a hydraulic cylinder mounting from load direction, side load and service access, with a worked buckling check.
Updated 2026-10-28
4 way hydraulic joystick
Which directional valve and joystick fits?
Open or closed centre, sections, flow rating and actuation: how to specify a directional control valve and joystick, and why most joystick problems are linkage.
Updated 2026-10-28
dump truck hydraulic cylinder
Why a dump truck cylinder is not a dump trailer cylinder
Same job, different load case: frame twist, lift geometry, oil volume and stability. The four differences that change what a rigid truck needs.
Updated 2026-10-28
Still sizing it?
Send the load, the space and the pressure you have. We will check the calculation against a real model and tell you where it fails.