Cylinders & Actuators

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor It would help if you never underestimate the importance of your cylinder rod. The rod is not just the object transmitting the force from the cylinder’s piston but also the interface between that cylinder and your machine. Before you can correctly select and then design the piston rod, you must […]

Looking for ways to further reduce your compressed air demand?  Consider investigating air cylinder actuation. Often times, air cylinders in production machinery only require significant force during a single power stroke, but still use full line pressure to return the cylinder to resting position.  Let’s compare the air consumption for double acting versus a spring […]

As interest in climate-change mitigation continues to grow around the world, many industry and technology leaders say that the efficiency of manufacturing processes must improve. One target is to replace conventional drives with highly efficient electrically powered systems. For years, manufacturers of energy-saving electromechanical drives have been trying to displace hydraulic drives from applications requiring…

Moog Industrial Group, a division of Moog Inc., has introduced the new Modular EAS System, a highly flexible system with excellent scalability and variability and can be easily adapted to most types of industrial manufacturing machinery. The Moog Modular Electrohydrostatic Actuation System (Modular EAS) features standardized modules with a wide number of customization options available.…

A chassis system manufacturer needed to retool a Tier-1 automotive hydroforming line to accommodate a new model design change. The new line required the flexibility to produce both the current OEM product and the new product at higher volumes. As a requirement for the new machine design, the manufacturer wanted to eliminate the messy and…

Eliminating downtime and ensuring safety in mining — two benefits hydraulics provides consistently. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor More than almost any other industry appropriating fluid power, mining is where safety sits front and center from design to execution. Surface mining enjoys bragging rights to some of the most massive machines ever manufactured by humans. […]

A national building materials manufacturing company was needing to replace cylinders on a shingle palletizing machine three times per year. To make sure the shingles are straight and lined up, the side-pusher cylinders are activated as a set of shingles is added to a pallet. These cylinders had a male thread rod end that would […]

Machine builders and their end-user manufacturers can increase machine speeds and reliability with the new AVENTICS TM5 TaskMaster aluminum cylinder from Emerson. The NFPA-compatible pneumatic cylinder reduces cost, energy consumption, equipment wear and downtime. With its rugged aluminum body construction and a steel piston rod, the TM5 TaskMaster features Emerson’s state-of-the-art pneumatic cushioning technology that […]

Loading shipping containers is labor intensive, slow, and carries with it the risk of injury to operators as well as damage to goods. In the case of longer items like lumber or pipes, workers typically use one forklift to lift and maneuver products laterally in front of the container opening, and a second forklift to…

Hydraulic valves, piston pumps and cylinders require increasingly close fits between the piston or spool and bore to reduce internal leakage. The components also need precision surface finishes for high performance and long seal life. That’s according to Phil Hanna, product manager for machines/gages at Sunnen Products, St. Louis. Hanna offered these observations in a…

With the innovative Subsea Clamping Cylinder for fully automatic Bend Stiffener Connectors (BSCs), Bosch Rexroth is setting new standards in term of safety, reliability and economy. The system is designed for use for up to 25 years and is impressive with its high clamping forces, powerless holding operation, and easy installation with no need for […]

Hydraulic cylinders and valves are common on refuse machinery, as they bring the rugged power for controlling, lifting, filling, compacting and dumping in the many types of refuse vehicles used. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Waste management is an industry considered best operating in the wings, leaving the main stage orderly and immaculate. Sure, everyone […]

Alliance Sensors Group has announced the expansion of the ME, MR, MHP, and now the SS-7 Series Linear Position Sensors used to measure the ram position of hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders in industrial, mobile, or subsea applications. With NO MAGNET REQUIRED the installation and cost of ownership is dramatically reduced without sacrificing accuracy specifications. The…

Milwaukee Cylinder is proud to announce its new “Quick-Ship 1” program that offers expedited next day shipping on tie rod cylinders. During an operations break-down, shipping next day for H, LH, and A Series NFPA tie rod cylinders brings crucial relief to manufacturers. This new program is an extension of Milwaukee Cylinder’s popular 5-Day Quick-Ship…

Enerpac, based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., has introduced its new SL400N Super Lift Hydraulic Gantry. This latest addition to the Enerpac Telescopic Hydraulic Gantry portfolio is said to achieve high capacity and lifting height with an efficient footprint. “The SL400N is designed based on the significant growth seen in relevant markets and the need for…

The Liebherr LiView is an innovative position transducer for hydraulic cylinders that uses the piston itself as a sensing element. The adoption of electronic controls into mobile equipment has led to game-changing productivity enhancements — precision excavating and grading, remote maintenance capabilities and autonomous machine operation, just to name a few. But for such systems […]

A machine that’s been 10 years in the making is now seeing success, thanks to hydraulic cylinders from Yates Industries. When Thomas Services La LLC of New Iberia, La. decided to develop a completely new concept and class of machine for oilfield pipe cleaning, they committed to creating a new higher standard for the definition…

Contributed by James Czegledi, Engineering manager, Peninsular Cylinders It can happen at anytime, most often without notice — your cylinder has failed. More often than not the failure can be attributed to a seal or seals used inside of the cylinder. Let’s take a look at the types of seals typically found inside a hydraulic […]

NITRA L-series rodless air cylinders from AutomationDirect offer a robust design in a compact package. Rodless cylinders can offer the same stroke as rodded cylinders in a smaller space. Rodless cylinders have the piston connected to a carriage that rides outside the extruded cylinder wall, reducing overall length, making them ideal for small or tight […]

Hydraulics provide the load-holding strength, precision and predictability to keep complex concrete pumps operating smoothly and reliably. Contributed by Carl Dyke, CD Industrial Group Inc. Live Schematics are worth a thousand pictures! Grab your smartphone and scan the QR codes on the Live Schematic images to go to straight to LunchBoxSessions.com and try out these […]

Although both types of cylinders are used in fluid power systems, the end caps used to hold the cylinder together make the difference. Welded cylinders are designed with each end cap welded to the barrel. Mounts and other fittings will also be welded to a cap. Static seals are used to seal the head or […]

New Way standard air bushings enable frictionless air cylinders. The O-rings in conventional hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders create significant friction. In measurements and test loading, that friction can be an issue. Instead of O-rings, the seal for the air bearings is the high-pressure air film generated by the bearing. So, with a 60 psi input […]

Peninsular Cylinder in Roseville is pleased to announce that the company was voted #1 in the 2nd annual Michigan Manufacturing Association’s “Coolest Thing made In Michigan” competition. This annual competition is open to all Michigan manufacturing companies. Each company submits a product at the Michigan Manufacturing Association website for viewing and judging. From there, association…

Polygon Composites Technology, a manufacturer of composite tubing solutions for bearings, dielectric applications, surgical devices and more, announces PolySlide composite tubing for pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders. PolySlide tubing replaces metallic material in a variety of cylinder applications. Supplied as a cylinder tube ready for customer assembly, or as fully engineered cylinder assemblies for equipment manufacturer […]