Hydraulic Force Calculator
This hydraulic cylinder force calculator finds the force a cylinder produces from the fluid pressure and the bore. Enter the pressure and the bore and the hydraulic cylinder force calculator returns the force in newtons and kilonewtons plus the piston area. As a hydraulic piston force calculator it uses force equals pressure times area, the basis of every hydraulic press and ram.
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The Hydraulic Force Calculator is part of our Machinery collection. Browse more machinery to size, convert, and check your work alongside this tool.
What the hydraulic cylinder force calculator shows
A hydraulic cylinder turns fluid pressure into a push, and the hydraulic cylinder force calculator finds how big that push is. It works out the piston area from the bore, then multiplies by the pressure, so a wider bore or a higher pressure both give more force. This is why a small pump can lift tons: the hydraulic piston force calculator shows the force spread over the piston face.
The hydraulic force formula
The hydraulic force formula multiplies pressure by piston area:
P is the pressure and A is the piston area, which comes from the bore as pi over four times the bore squared. Because the pressure acts on every part of the piston face, a larger bore multiplies the force sharply, since area grows with the square of the bore. The hydraulic cylinder force calculator converts bar to pascals and the bore to square meters so the force comes out in newtons.
Hydraulic piston force calculator example
A cylinder at 100 bar with a 50 mm bore. The hydraulic piston force calculator gives:
So the cylinder pushes with about 19.6 kilonewtons, roughly 2 tonnes of force. Raise the bore and the hydraulic cylinder force calculator returns much more force at once.
How to use the hydraulic cylinder force calculator
Enter the fluid pressure in bar and the cylinder bore in millimeters, then the hydraulic cylinder force calculator returns the force in newtons and kilonewtons along with the piston area. Read the pressure from the system gauge and the bore from the cylinder spec. The hydraulic force calculator assumes the full bore on the push stroke; the pull stroke is a little less, since the rod takes up part of the area.
Reading the hydraulic force calculator result
The force in newtons and kilonewtons is the push the cylinder makes on its push stroke at the pressure you set. To read it as tonnes, divide the kilonewtons by about 9.81, so 19.6 kN is close to 2 tonnes, which is how a hydraulic cylinder tonnage calculator rates a press. The pull stroke gives less force, since the rod reduces the effective area. Size the cylinder so its force comfortably exceeds the load, and check the pressure stays within the cylinder rating.
When to use the hydraulic cylinder force calculator
- Sizing a cylinder with the hydraulic cylinder force calculator
- Rating a press with a hydraulic press force calculator
- Finding lift with a hydraulic cylinder lifting capacity calculator
- Checking a ram against its load
Common hydraulic cylinder force calculator mistakes
- Using the rod side area for the push. The push stroke uses the full bore; only the pull stroke subtracts the rod.
- Mixing pressure units. Enter pressure in bar; the tool converts to pascals for the force.
- No margin. Friction and back pressure reduce the real force, so size above the load.
Tips for cylinder sizing
- Size the force above the load to allow for losses.
- Divide kilonewtons by 9.81 to read tonnes.
- Keep the pressure within the cylinder rating.
Hydraulic piston force calculator and pressure
The reason a hydraulic piston force calculator matters is that hydraulics multiply force through area, not through the fluid itself. Pressure is the same throughout a connected fluid, so a small pump piston pushing at high pressure delivers that same pressure to a large cylinder piston, and the large piston, with far more area, produces far more force. That is the principle behind a hydraulic press: a modest pump pressure on a big bore gives tonnes of clamping force. The trade is distance, since the large piston moves less than the small one in proportion to their areas, so the work in equals the work out. Enter the system pressure and the bore, and the hydraulic force calculator shows the force that area buys.
Hydraulic cylinder tonnage calculator and press force
Presses and jacks are rated in tonnes, so a hydraulic cylinder tonnage calculator converts the newton force into that everyday unit by dividing by the acceleration of gravity. A 100 bar system on an 80 mm bore makes about 50 kN, close to 5 tonnes, enough for a workshop press. A hydraulic press force calculator sizes the bore for a target tonnage at the pump pressure the system can hold, and a hydraulic ram force calculator does the same for lifting rams. Always keep a margin, since seals, friction, and back pressure shave a little off the ideal force, and never exceed the cylinder pressure rating to chase more force. The pressure calculator helps relate the pressure, area, and force if you need to work back from a required force.
Hydraulic cylinder force calculator chart
Push force at 100 bar by bore, from the hydraulic cylinder force calculator:
| Bore | Piston area | Force at 100 bar |
|---|---|---|
| 40 mm | 12.6 cm² | 12.6 kN |
| 50 mm | 19.6 cm² | 19.6 kN |
| 63 mm | 31.2 cm² | 31.2 kN |
| 80 mm | 50.3 cm² | 50.3 kN |
Hydraulic Force Calculator FAQ
What is the hydraulic force formula?
The hydraulic force formula is F = P x A, pressure times piston area. The hydraulic cylinder force calculator finds the area from the bore, then multiplies by the pressure.
How do I convert the force to tonnes?
Divide the kilonewtons by about 9.81. So 19.6 kN is close to 2 tonnes, which is how a hydraulic cylinder tonnage calculator rates a press.
Is the pull stroke the same force?
No. On the pull stroke the rod takes up part of the piston area, so the effective area and the force are a little less than on the push stroke.
Why does bore matter so much?
Piston area grows with the square of the bore, so a small increase in bore gives a large increase in force at the same pressure.