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Cylinder force calculator: pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders

Push and pull force of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder from bore, rod and pressure, with air use per cycle and rod speed. Free, no sign-up.

  • Instant result
  • Formula and standards shown
  • On desktop and phone

Pre-filled example

A double-acting pneumatic cylinder, 50 mm bore, 20 mm rod, at 6 bar, 200 mm stroke, 10 cycles per minute.

mm
mm
bar
mm
cycles/min
More options (1)
N

Result

1,178.1NPush force

Pull force
989.6N
Swept volume
0.7226L
Air per cycle
5.00 NL
Air per minute
50.0 NL/min
Attach this calculation to a work order

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Cylinder force attached to the replacement work order

Here, the calculator is free and the result is gone when you close the page. In Reglova, it is attached to the work order on the right machine: you find it again at the next breakdown, and on audit day.

The CMMS software comparison, our gaps included
  • Attached to the work order with its inputs: the server recalculates it, it stays verifiable.
  • On the technician's phone, even without a network.
  • In the machine's history, for the next breakdown.
  • The asset's nameplate data pre-fills the calculation.
Try the demoJoin the free beta
Reglova · Calculations · Work order WO-AT01-04219
Silent video, 33 s: from the work order for an oil leak on a shear cylinder, the tightening torque of an M12 bolt, then "Attach to the work order". A step to tighten it to 93.1 N·m lands in the checklist (step text from the French demo data). Watch the video

When to calculate cylinder force

  1. 01

    Check that a replacement cylinder delivers the required force at the network pressure.

  2. 02

    Put a figure on a machine's air consumption before hunting for leaks.

  3. 03

    Understand a slow cylinder: flow, area and speed.

Good to know

Above 70% of the theoretical force, a pneumatic cylinder becomes slow and jerky: choose a larger bore.

Cylinder force formula, air consumption and speed

The calculator gives the push and pull force of a cylinder from the bore, the rod diameter and the pressure, the pressure required for a given force, and the load ratio. For pneumatics, it calculates the air used per cycle and per minute, in normal litres; for hydraulics, the rod speeds and the power from the flow rate.

Formula · Reference documents

F = p·A·η ; A push = π·D²/4 ; A pull = π·(D² − d²)/4 ; v = Q/A ; V air = (Ap + Ar)·stroke·(p + 1.01325)/1.01325

ISO 6358, ISO 8778 (standard reference atmosphere)

Inputs and accepted ranges
InputUnitAccepted rangeExample
Medium2 optionsPneumatic
Bore Dmm1 to 1,00050 mm
Rod dmm0 to 99920 mm
Pressurebar0.01 to 7006 bar
Efficiency η0.1 to 11
Actionif Medium: Pneumatic2 optionsDouble-acting
Strokemm1 to 20,000200 mm
Cycle ratecycles/min0.01 to 1,00010 cycles/min
Flowif Medium: HydraulicL/min0.01 to 100,000Optional
Required forceN0.01 to 100,000,000Optional
Calculated results
  • Push forceN
  • Pull forceN
  • Required pressurebar
  • Load ratio%
  • Swept volumeL
  • Air per cycleNL
  • Air per minuteNL/min
  • Extend speedmm/s
  • Retract speedmm/s
  • Hydraulic powerkW
What the calculator flags
  • Over 10 bar in pneumatics: check the cylinder's rated pressure.
  • Force above 70% of the theoretical force: choose a larger cylinder.

Air leaks and cylinder faults reported by QR code

  • Breakdowns reported by QR code
  • Work orders on the phone, even without a network
  • Mandatory inspections reminded by email
  • Audit file as a PDF, in one click
Try the demoJoin the free beta

Free during the beta, no credit card