Hydraulic Cylinder Force Calculator

Hydraulic Cylinder Force Calculator

Hydraulic systems generate remarkable force from modest pressure - this calculator shows exactly how bore diameter and system pressure combine to produce output force.

Piston Area = π × Radius²
Force = Pressure × Piston Area

Example

A 50mm bore cylinder at 200 bar system pressure:

Piston Area = 1,963.5 mm² → Force = 39.27 kN

Why Bore Size Matters More Than You'd Expect

Hydraulic force output scales with the square of bore diameter, not linearly - this squared relationship is exactly why even modest increases in cylinder bore size produce dramatically more output force at the same system pressure. A 20% increase in bore diameter yields roughly a 44% increase in output force at constant pressure.

The Fundamental Principle Behind Hydraulics

This area-force relationship is the fundamental principle behind hydraulic systems' ability to generate enormous force from relatively modest, easily-achievable pressure levels - it's exactly why cylinder bore diameter is typically the primary sizing decision engineers make when specifying a hydraulic cylinder for a required force output.