Hydraulic Cylinders / Jacks - A Brief

Hydraulic Cylinder
Hydraulic cylinder is used to give a linear force through a linear stroke in any hydraulic based system. Also known as linear hydraulic motor, the cylinder has many applications notably in hydraulic machinery and engineering vehicles. Hydraulic cylinder consists of the following parts:

Cylinder Barrel
It is mostly seamless forged pipe, which is ground and/or honed internally.

Cylinder Bottom
In most hydraulic cylinders, the barrel and the bottom are welded together.

Cylinder Head
Cylinder head is connected to the barrel with a sort of a simple lock.

Piston
The piston is a short metal component that separates the two sides of the cylinder barrel internally. It is machined with grooves to fit elastomer or metal seals.

Piston Rod
Piston rod is cold-rolled steel, which attaches to the piston and extends from the cylinder through the rod-end head.

Rod Gland
Rod gland is an area interfaced between the rod and the head, which is effective in preventing the pressurized oil from leaking.

Other Parts
Besides these, there are several other parts such as cylinder bottom connection, seals, cushions, etc.

Hydraulic Jack
Hydraulic jack is a device, which lifts heavy equipment. These jacks find wide applications in automobile industry. Most common forms include car jack, floor jack, garage jack, etc. Car jacks usually use mechanical advantage to allow a human to lift a vehicle by manual force alone. Hydraulic jacks provide more lift over greater distances.