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To meet the diverse needs of various machines, hydraulic cylinders come in a variety of types. This article explains seven common types of hydraulic cylinders in action using animated graphics.
1)Differential hydraulic cylinder
The differential principle of the hydraulic cylinder is that both ends are connected to the oil supply pipeline at the same time. Since the effective area of the piston rod at one end is smaller than that at the other end, the differential principle is used to achieve movement.
Differential connection is an effective way to achieve rapid movement without increasing the capacity and power of the hydraulic pump.
2)Single-rod hydraulic cylinder
Single-rod hydraulic cylinders have a piston rod at only one end. When used to achieve reciprocating motion, they eliminate the need for a reduction gear, eliminate transmission backlash, and provide smooth motion. Therefore, they are widely used in hydraulic systems of various machines.
Features:
(1) Oil enters the rodless chamber and returns to the rod chamber.
(2) Oil enters the rod chamber and returns to the rodless chamber.
(3)Differential connection – the left and right chambers are connected and both are connected with pressurized oil.
The comparison of three types of single-rod cylinders is shown in the figure below:
3)Single-rod piston cylinder
The piston of a single-rod piston cylinder has a piston rod at only one end, because the effective areas of the left and right chambers of the single-rod piston cylinder are not equal.
4)Double-rod piston cylinder
The rod diameters at both ends of a double-rod piston cylinder are typically equal, resulting in an equal effective area on both sides of the piston.
A double-rod hydraulic cylinder has a piston rod on both sides of the piston. It is generally hydraulically driven in both directions, achieving constant velocity reciprocating motion.
Features:
(1) Oil enters the rodless chamber and returns to the rod chamber.
(2) Oil enters the rod chamber and returns to the rodless chamber.
(4)Differential connection, the left and right chambers are connected and both are connected with pressurized oil.
5)Gas-hydraulic booster cylinder
A pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder, also known as a pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder or simply a booster cylinder, combines the advantages of both pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders.
Applications: embossing, bending profiles, die punching, punching steel, profile welding, extrusion forming, flattening and straightening, riveting and forging, shaping sheet metal, tight assembly, riveting, and metal stamping.
6)Telescopic hydraulic cylinder
Telescopic hydraulic cylinders are hydraulic cylinders with multi-stage sleeve-shaped piston rods that can achieve a longer working stroke. They are also called multi-stage hydraulic cylinders. They are commonly used in the hydraulic systems of construction machinery and other mobile machinery, such as cranes and dump trucks.
7)Plunger cylinder
A plunger cylinder is a type of hydraulic cylinder. A single plunger cylinder can only move in one direction; reversing requires external force. It is particularly suitable for applications with long travels. Plunger cylinders can be categorized as radial or axial.
