Hydraulic cylinder force chart
The push force of a hydraulic cylinder is pressure times piston area. The chart below gives the theoretical push force for ISO 3320 standard bores at common system pressures.
Push force by bore and pressure
| Bore D (mm) | Area (cm²) | 100 bar (kN) | 160 bar (kN) | 210 bar (kN) | 250 bar (kN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 7.9 | 10.3 | 12.3 |
| 32 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 12.9 | 16.9 | 20.1 |
| 40 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 20.1 | 26.4 | 31.4 |
| 50 | 19.6 | 19.6 | 31.4 | 41.2 | 49.1 |
| 63 | 31.2 | 31.2 | 49.9 | 65.5 | 77.9 |
| 80 | 50.3 | 50.3 | 80.4 | 105.6 | 125.7 |
| 100 | 78.5 | 78.5 | 125.7 | 164.9 | 196.3 |
| 125 | 122.7 | 122.7 | 196.3 | 257.7 | 306.8 |
| 160 | 201.1 | 201.1 | 321.7 | 422.2 | 502.7 |
| 200 | 314.2 | 314.2 | 502.7 | 659.7 | 785.4 |
Values are theoretical (η = 1). Real cylinders lose a few percent to seal friction; use about 0.9–0.95 for sizing. 1 kN ≈ 102 kg of load, so 10 kN ≈ 1 tonne.
Formula
A1 = π·D²/4 piston side A2 = π·(D² − d²)/4 rod side F [N] = p [bar] × 0.1 × A [mm²] × η
The pull force uses the annulus area A2 and is always smaller. For example a 63/36 mm cylinder at 160 bar pushes 49.9 kN and pulls 33.6 kN.
Beyond force
- Speed: v = Q / A. The same pump flow moves the rod faster on the return stroke.
- Power: P [kW] = p [bar] × Q [l/min] / 600, divided by pump efficiency.
- Buckling: long strokes under push load must be checked with Euler's formula for the mounting style.
The hydraulic cylinder calculator does all of this for your bore, rod, stroke and pump, including the buckling check; for compressed air see the pneumatic cylinder calculator.
Hydraulic cylinder calculator →
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