Hydraulic cylinders are used in a wide variety of machines and applications.
Some common examples include:
• Excavators – Hydraulic cylinders power the arm, bucket, boom, etc. movements. They provide the high forces required for digging and lifting heavy materials.
• Cranes – Hydraulic cylinders raise and lower the crane arm, boom and load. They are used in mobile cranes, tower cranes, gantry cranes, etc.
• Trucks – Garbage trucks, dump trucks, lifting trucks use hydraulic cylinders for compaction, lifting, tilting and stabilizing functions. Cylinders provide the high forces needed to move heavy loads.
• Presses – Hydraulic cylinders apply huge compressive forces required for metal forming, packaging, baling and assembly operations in various types of presses.
• Dozers and grading machines – Hydraulic cylinders power the blade control and maneuvering functions. They adjust the elevation and angle of bulldozer blades, road grader blades and other earth-moving equipment.
• Baling machines – Hydraulic cylinders compress recyclable materials like paper, plastic and metals into dense bales for transport and storage. Very high forces are required for baling operations.
• Lifts – Hydraulic cylinders raise and lower platforms and people in lifts like scissor lifts, boom lifts, car lifts and wheelchair lifts. They provide a smooth lifting motion.
• Doors and gates – Hydraulic cylinders open and close large industrial doors, hangar doors, flood control gates and vehicular gates where electric operation is not suitable or power is unavailable.• Steering systems – Hydraulic cylinders facilitate power steering in some large vehicles like trucks, construction equipment, ships, etc. They make steering easier for the operator.
• Agricultural machinery – Hydraulic cylinders power many functions in tractors, harvesters, plows, spreaders and other farm machinery. They provide linear motion and high forces needed for ploughing, spreading, lifting and manipulation of equipment.
• Material handling – Hydraulic cylinders maneuver loads in material handling equipment like forklifts, pallet lifts, stackers, loaders, etc. They provide lifting, tilting and pulling forces for moving and stacking heavy materials.