The amount of force a hydraulic cylinder can generate is equal to the hydraulic pressure times the “effective area” of the cylinder.
Force (F) = Hydraulic Working Pressure (P) x Cylinder Effective Area (A)
Example 1:
An RC106 cylinder with 2.24 in² effective area is operating at 8,000 psi. What force is being generated? Force = 8,000 psi x 2.24 in² = 17,920 lbs
Example 2:
An RC106 cylinder has to lift 14,000 lbs of force. What pressure is required? Pressure = 14,000 lbs ÷ 2.24 in² = 6,250 psi
Example 3:
An RC256 cylinder with 5.15 in² effective area is required to produce a force of 41,000 lbs. What pressure is required? Pressure = 41,000 lbs ÷ 5.15 in² = 7,961 psi
Example 4:
Four RC308 cylinders each with 6.49 in² effective area are required to produce a force of 180,000 lbs. What pressure is required? Pressure = 180,000 lbs ÷ (4 x 6.49 in²) = 6,933 psi (Remember, since four cylinders are used together, the area for one cylinder must be multiplied by the number of cylinders used).