Enter the pressure, rod diameter, and piston diameter to calculator the push and pull force of a hydraulic cylinder.

Hydraulic Force Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the push and pull forces of a hydraulic cylinder.

F = P * (pi*(Dp2 – Dr2)/4)

  • where F is the force (lbs, N)
  • P is the pressure (psi, N/mm2 )
  • Dp is the piston diameter (in,mm)
  • Dr is the rod diameter (in,mm)

Hydraulic Force Definition

A hydraulic force is defined as the force required to pull or push a hydraulic cylinder based on pressure, piston diameter, and rod diameter.

Example Problem

How to calculate hydraulic force?

  1. First, determine the pressure acting on the rod side of the cylinder.

    For this example problem, the pressure is measured to be 100 PSI.

  2. Next, determine the rod diameter.

    The rod is measured to have a diameter of 5 in.

  3. Next, determine the piston diameter.

    The piston is measured to have a diameter of 12in.

  4. Finally, calculate the hydraulic force.

    The hydraulic force is calculated using the formula F = P * (pi*(Dp2 – Dr2)/4) = F = 100 * (pi*(122 – 52)/4) = 9436.23 lb-f.

FAQ

How do you find hydraulic power?

Hydraulic power is different to calculate than hydraulic force. Power is a force applied per unit of time. Most often a hydraulic power is calculated using flow and pressure.

This formula is Power = P*Q where P is the pressure (bars) and Q is the flow rate (L/min).

hydraulic force calculator