Engineering tools
Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator (Force, Speed & Flow)
Size push/pull force, extend and retract speed, cycle time, and return flow on one page — with angle mount, differential, and multi-stage modes. Metric (mm, bar, L/min, kN) and imperial (in, PSI, GPM, lbf) with per-field unit switching.
Effective force = theoretical force × cos(θ). Valid range: 0–89.9°.
Regenerative / differential extend: pump supplies the rod end only; oil from the rod end recirculates into the cap end (no external return on extend). Extend force uses rod area (π·d²/4); cap-end total inflow = pump flow × (bore area / rod area). Retract uses annular area as usual.
Total stroke (sum of stages): —
Results
Calculation history
Reference
How the hydraulic cylinder calculator works
All math runs in your browser (no API round-trip). Inputs are converted to consistent internal units, then results are displayed in your selected Metric or Imperial units.
1. Areas
Abore = π · D² / 4
Aannular = π · (D² − d²) / 4
2. Push & pull force
Fpush = P · Abore
Fpull = P · Aannular
Angle mount: Feffective = F · cos(θ)
3. Speed & time
vext = Q / Abore · vret = Q / Aannular
text = S / vext · tret = S / vret
4. Return flow & amplification
On extend: Qout,rod = Q · (Aannular / Abore)
On retract: Qout,bore = Q · (Abore / Aannular)
Common unit conversions
| Quantity | Conversion |
|---|---|
| Length | 1 in = 25.4 mm |
| Pressure | 1 bar ≈ 14.5038 PSI · 1 MPa = 10 bar |
| Flow | 1 GPM ≈ 3.785 L/min |
| Force | 1 kN ≈ 224.81 lbf · 1 tf ≈ 9.807 kN |
FAQ
Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator FAQ
Common questions about force, speed, pressure, and using this tool.
How do I use this hydraulic cylinder force calculator?
Enter bore, rod, stroke, working pressure, and pump flow. Push and pull force appear first in Results. Switch Metric/Imperial anytime, or change a single field’s unit. Use Solve for → Minimum Bore when you know target force and pressure but not cylinder size.
How to calculate hydraulic cylinder force?
Push (extend) force is F_push = P × A_bore, where A_bore = π·D²/4. Pull (retract) force is F_pull = P × A_annular, where A_annular = π·(D² − d²)/4. Keep units consistent (e.g. bar and mm² → kN, or PSI and in² → lbf).
What variables affect hydraulic cylinder pressure and speed?
Pressure and piston area set force. Flow rate and effective area set speed: v = Q / A. Larger bore → more force and slower travel at the same flow. Smaller annular area → faster retract and lower pull force. Angle mounts reduce effective axial force by cos(θ).
What is the difference between a hydraulic cylinder calculator and a force calculator?
A force calculator focuses on push/pull from pressure and area. This tool also covers extend/retract speed, cycle time, return-flow amplification, angle derating, differential (regenerative) extend, and multi-stage telescopic estimates — so both search intents land on one page.
Need a cylinder sized to these numbers?
Share bore, stroke, rod, pressure, mount, and quantity — HydraulicsMfg engineering will review your calculator results and quote a custom or replacement build.