4 Advice to Choose a Multi Stage Hydraulic Cylinder

Choosing the appropriate hydraulic cylinder for your industry is crucial to ensure efficiency, safety, and longevity of your equipment. This guide will walk you through the essential factors to consider when selecting a hydraulic cylinder that best fits your specific industrial needs with Air & Hydraulic Equipment!

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Understanding Hydraulic Cylinders

A hydraulic cylinder is a mechanical actuator that provides unidirectional force through a unidirectional stroke. It’s a vital component in various machinery, converting hydraulic energy into mechanical movement. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, and agriculture heavily rely on hydraulic cylinders for tasks requiring substantial force and precise control.

Types of Hydraulic Cylinders

Tie-Rod Cylinders

Tie-rod cylinders use high-strength threaded steel rods to hold the end caps to the cylinder barrel. They are commonly used in industrial applications and are known for their ease of maintenance and repair. The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) has standardized the dimensions of these cylinders, allowing for interchangeability among different manufacturers. 

Welded Body Cylinders

Welded body cylinders have no tie rods; instead, the barrel is welded directly to the end caps. This design offers a more compact and robust solution, making them suitable for mobile equipment and heavy-duty applications. They are less prone to failure due to tie rod stretch at high pressures and long strokes. 

Telescopic Cylinders

Telescopic cylinders, also known as multi-stage cylinders, provide an exceptionally long output travel from a very compact retracted length. They are ideal for applications with limited installation space but requiring long strokes, such as dump trucks and lifting equipment. 

Key Considerations for Selection

Load Requirements

Determine the maximum load the cylinder needs to move or support. This will help in selecting a cylinder with the appropriate bore size and pressure rating to handle the required force. 

Stroke Length

The stroke length is the distance the piston travels from its fully retracted to fully extended position. Ensure the selected cylinder provides sufficient stroke length for your application without exceeding space constraints. 

Mounting Options

Consider the mounting style that best suits your machinery, such as flange mounts, clevis mounts, or trunnion mounts. Proper mounting ensures stability and alignment during operation. 

Operating Environment

Assess the environmental conditions, including temperature, exposure to corrosive substances, and potential contaminants. This evaluation will guide the selection of materials and seal types to ensure durability and performance. 

Speed Requirements

Determine the required extension and retraction speeds. Some cylinders are designed for high-speed applications, while others are suited for slower, more controlled movements. 

Industry-Specific Applications

Construction

In construction machinery, such as excavators and loaders, welded body cylinders are often preferred due to their durability and compact design, which can withstand harsh environments and heavy loads.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing industries may favor tie-rod cylinders for their ease of maintenance and standardized dimensions, facilitating quick replacements and repairs.

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Agriculture

Agricultural equipment, like tractors and harvesters, often utilize telescopic cylinders to achieve long strokes necessary for various farming operations within limited space constraints.

Partnering with Air & Hydraulic Equipment

Selecting the right hydraulic cylinder is a complex task that requires careful consideration of various factors. Air & Hydraulic Equipment, with over 50 years of experience, offers a comprehensive range of hydraulic cylinders and components to meet diverse industrial needs. Our team of certified technicians provides services including cylinder repair and custom solutions, ensuring optimal performance and longevity of your equipment. 

There are many different types of hydraulic cylinders each with its unique functionality. One of the main advantages of using the telescopic hydraulic cylinder variety is the fact that it has a longer stroke compared with other cylinder designs. This cylinder variety is typically used to enhance the functions of process operations.

If you have operations that are designed to be carried out in a limited or confined space, telescopic hydraulic cylinders are a great option for you. They are also beneficial in places where a longer stroke length is required. But what about hydraulic cylinder repair?

What Is the Telescopic Hydraulic Cylinder?

Telescopic cylinders are also referred to as multi-stage cylinders. They are a variety of linear actuator that consists of tubular rods referred to as sleeves. There are usually four or five sleeves that decrease in diameter and nest inside one another. As soon as hydraulic pressure is exposed to the cylinder, the largest sleeve (called the barrel or main) extends. As soon as the barrel reaches its maximum stroke, the next sleeve (called a stage) starts to extend. This is an ongoing process until the cylinder reaches the final stage that’s referred to as the plunger.

The two types of telescopic hydraulic cylinders include single-acting cylinders and double-acting cylinders. The most common type is single acting which works by using gravity or other external forces to retract the cylinder stages. Once pressure is released, the load’s force pushes oil out of the system and the cylinder retracts.

Benefits

Just like other types of cylinders, there are benefits to using telescopic hydraulic cylinders. We’ve outlined a few of them below.

#1. Telescopic Hydraulic Cylinders Take Less Space

One of the main benefits is the fact that these cylinders can be used effectively in small, compact spaces. If your operations are confined and require compact equipment, consider a telescopic hydraulic cylinder that can extend significantly longer than the collapsed length. This is the most logical option if you have limited mounting space and require a long stroke.

#2. Telescopic Cylinders Can Meet Specific Angle Requirements

Using this cylinder variety is the most practical in vehicles that feature a hydraulic-powered bed such as a dump truck. There are specific angles that are required to gradually release the materials at the required range, requiring a 60-degree angle to empty the contents of the bed. As well as raising the bed, telescoping cylinders are beneficial in collapsing and returning the bed to a horizontal position.

#3. Can be Made as a Constant Thrust / Constant Speed Application

Special telescopic cylinders are known as constant-thrust/constant-speed cylinders. They are configured so that all moving stages extend simultaneously to provide a constant speed and force while it is extending or retracting. This variety of telescopic hydraulic cylinders is often used to drive drill heads in underground mining where performance parameters are necessary. Due to its more complicated design, this type of hydraulic cylinder accomplished the necessary action by internally trapping oil, limiting the number of moving stages, and matching retract and extend areas.

#4. Can be Made as a Double or Single Acting

Another noteworthy advantage is that telescopic hydraulic cylinders can be made as single-acting, double acting, or a combination of the two. If you opt for the combination of single-acting and double-acting telescopic cylinders, you’ll also receive the benefits of a double-acting cylinder combined with the ease of operation and cost-effectiveness of a single-acting hydraulic cylinder.

#5. Telescopic Cylinders Have a Longer Stroke

The stroke length of this cylinder variety is longer than others. The typical collapsed length of a telescopic hydraulic cylinder is roughly 20-40 percent of its fully extended length. This is considered an extra-long stroke that cannot be achieved with other types of cylinder types, making it one of the biggest unique selling points of this variety.

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