Tools & selection knowledge
Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator
Calculate hydraulic cylinder force, speed, stroke time and oil volume. Configure supported Duplomatic HC2/HC3 options and prepare a technical enquiry.
ENGINEERING TOOLS
Size it. Configure it.
Calculate cylinder performance, choose a catalogue size and prepare a cylinder enquiry in one place.
01 / Hydraulic calculation
Applied to required force only. 1.00 adds no allowance; this is not a structural safety factor.
100% = theoretical. A lower value is an assumed mechanical efficiency, not a measured guarantee.
02 / Catalogue configuration
Choose Duplomatic HC2 or HC3 above to generate a catalogue code. For another manufacturer, the hydraulic calculation remains available.
Measured from the catalogue datum. Allowed range:
Positions 1–4 follow the catalogue front-view diagram. Confirm orientation on the drawing.
Open series catalogue ↗Need double rod, sensors, ATEX or a custom design? Include the requirement in your enquiry.
Cylinder section — schematic, not a manufacturing drawing
Calculated performance
| Extension | Retraction | |
|---|---|---|
| Rod speed | — | — |
| Full stroke time | — | — |
| Chamber volume | — | — |
| Effective area | — | — |
| Displaced return flow | — | — |
Same supply flow in each direction. Return flow can exceed pump flow during retraction.
Your catalogue code
Standard single-rod configuration without sensors or ATEX. Catalogue-based code, subject to technical and commercial confirmation.
The quotation form opens with your code, inputs and results already filled in.
Select and copy the specification below.
Calculation basis
Force F = (p₁A₁ − p₂A₂) × η. Speed v = Q/A. Stroke time t = S/v.
Force in kN and metric tonnes-force (tf); dimensions in mm, pressure in bar, flow in l/min.
Pressure is applied to the active chamber; back pressure acts on the opposite chamber. Force efficiency scales the resulting net hydraulic force. Flow calculations ignore leakage and compressibility.
Preliminary sizing only. Rod buckling, mounting loads, cushioning energy, pressure peaks, pipe losses and duty cycle require engineering verification.
Force · speed · stroke time · HC2 / HC3 configuration
Calculate cylinder force, speed and oil volume
Calculate extension and retraction force for a double-acting cylinder with a single rod, or find a bore size from the required force. Enter bore, rod diameter, stroke, pressure and flow. The calculator also provides chamber volumes, stroke times and return-flow estimates.
The same tool is available in our hydraulic cylinder range.
Hydraulic cylinder formulas
A annulus = π × (D² − d²) / 4
F extension = (p × A piston − p return × A annulus) / 10000
F retraction = (p × A annulus − p return × A piston) / 10000
v = Q × 1000000 / (60 × A)
t = S / v
V chamber = A × S / 1000000
Use D, d and S in mm; areas in mm²; pressure in bar; flow Q in l/min. The resulting force is in kN, speed in mm/s, time in seconds and volume in litres. The force result is multiplied by the assumed mechanical efficiency. One tonne-force equals 9.80665 kN.
Worked example: cylinder 63 / 36 × 250 mm
At 160 bar, with zero return back pressure and 100% assumed mechanical efficiency, a cylinder with 63 mm bore and 36 mm rod produces approximately 49.88 kN extension force and 33.59 kN retraction force. At 20 l/min in both directions, full-stroke times are approximately 2.34 s extending and 1.57 s retracting.
The retraction force is smaller because the rod reduces the effective area. At the same inlet flow, retraction is faster and the return flow can exceed the pump delivery.
HC2 and HC3 ordering-code configuration
Select Duplomatic MS HC2 or HC3 to configure supported catalogue bore/rod combinations, mounting, stroke and listed options. The tool generates a preliminary catalogue designation. Special designs, unsupported combinations and application suitability require confirmation. CMB and other manufacturers can be calculated from dimensions; their ordering codes are not generated.
Selection limits
Check rod buckling, mounting loads, alignment, pressure transients, seals, temperature and duty. A force margin in the calculator is a sizing multiplier; it is not a structural safety factor. The cylinder illustration is schematic and does not define the overall installation length.
Why is retraction force lower than extension force?
The rod occupies part of the piston area on the rod side. At equal pressure and zero back pressure, the available pulling force is therefore lower than the pushing force.
Does the calculation account for return back pressure?
Yes. Return pressure opposes motion over the opposite chamber area. It reduces net force and can matter particularly when the cylinder is retracting.
Can I size a cylinder from the required force?
Yes. Select the force-based mode, choose pushing or pulling, enter pressure and force, then set the sizing multiplier. Verify structural stability and the manufacturer’s permitted configuration separately.
Related selection information
Cylinder range · Cylinder selection guide · HC2 vs HC3 comparison · Size the pump flow and drive