When designing a cylinder, it is important to consider how much force will be on the piston rod as the cylinder is extending. If too much compressive force is applied to the piston rod in extend, it will cause it to bend and buckle. Consider a coffee stirrer. When placed between two fingers and pushed on, it very easily bends. Now consider a drinking straw. While it might be longer, it also has a larger diameter, thus when placed between two fingers and pushed on with the same amount of force it does not bend as easily. In the same way piston rods will bend when the force to rod diameter ratio becomes too large. Several factors contribute to the force, and associated cylinder pressure, when this bending will begin to occur. These factors include bore size, rod diameter, mounting style, length of stroke and extra plain rod extension, and even rod material.

In the fast-paced and high-risk oil and gas industry, having reliable, durable equipment is critical to operational success. At the center of many vital systems lies a key component: the Hydraulic Cylinder. Whether it’s land-based drilling, offshore platforms, or refinery systems, hydraulic cylinders provide the power and control needed to operate safely and efficiently.

There are many applications where cylinders are exposed to extreme heat due to environmental conditions. Whether your cylinder is near a bakery oven or hanging above a crucible of molten metal knowing which options are available to handle the heat becomes top priority.

   Keeping up with production demands is a proven challenge in the lumber industry. To stay competitive, operations demand higher performance and lower cost for automated equipment. Lumber processing end-users want solutions to the problems encountered in the rough environment of the mills where temperatures fluctuate, dust produced from the processes damages your equipment, and grate machinery.

You know that sinking feeling when you take the first bite of a much needed lunch, the phone rings and you answer to hear the words "We have a problem; it’s a new installation and the tube seals have blown!" With thoughts of catching a snack later in the day, you attend the scene of the crime...

Many eager professionals looking for a cylinder solution fall susceptible to beginning their search prior to considering all that goes into applying the right cylinder for their application. Good news, you don’t have to be that person! A simple example is as follows:

An individual sends in an order for the following cylinder:

• 6” HH Series, 3” Rod, 50” Stroke, FHF Mount, Style 2 Rod End, Port pos. 1 & 5, Non-Cushioned.

The cylinder is made and shipped in 3 days, to the delight of the customer and thanks to the Gold Program (go ahead, check it out), since it was a job that they had to get going in a hurry. The customer installs the cylinder and a few weeks later the cylinder starts to have leaking issues at the rod. They call up very upset that the cylinder is leaking and want it fixed quickly under warranty. We ask about the application to see if we can find out more to help solve their pain as to why the cylinder has failed so quickly.