Choosing the Right Hydraulic Cylinder for a Lifting Application

Whether you call them hydraulic cylinders, jacks, or rams, they all serve a similar purpose. Automotive, Center Hole, Double Acting, Flat Body, Low Profile, Lock Nut, Lightweight Aluminum and Single Acting Cylinders all use hydraulic pressure to move a load. With a wide range of cylinder options available, selecting the right one requires careful consideration of your application. Answer these questions, and then you can identify the ideal hydraulic jack for your lifting or pulling application.

How to Determine the Right Sized Ram to Lift a Heavy Load?

You must determine the right sized cylinder when lifting, jacking, pulling, pressing, holding, lowering, or clamping. Whether it is a piece of equipment you need to lift, or some other heavy load, you can’t afford to pick a jack that is too small; you will not be able to lift the load and could cause a safety hazard. At a minimum, you may be headed back to the shop to get a bigger cylinder, wasting valuable time. Time is money, so this option is unacceptable when a multi-million contract is on the line.

Choosing a hydraulic cylinder should not be a guessing game, and it saves time and money if you calculate the size needed before you start your job. Figure out the load capacity of your jack before you attempt to lift heavy weight, and you’ll be successful every time. A simple calculation ensures that you can trust the hydraulic lift, and it makes everyone on the jobsite safer. It’s a win-win situation, and being prepared will save you time and help the job to be as efficient as possible.

…you can’t afford to pick a jack that is too small; you will not be able to lift the load and could cause a safety hazard.

How to Choose the Size of Hydraulic Jack You Need to Lift a Load

Step 1: Find out how much you are lifting

Each hydraulic jack has a maximum tonnage capacity. You need to know the approximate weight of the item you are lifting. Be precise, the more accurate, the better. If you are estimating weight, overestimate! You can’t risk the lift to be a failure. Barely meeting the load capacity of the ram also can have catastrophic consequences; any unexpected change or shift could cause the cylinder to fail to complete its stroke in the middle of its cycle. Figuring out how much you are lifting is crucial in deciding which hydraulic cylinder to use.

Step 2: Know your available pressure

The hydraulic pressure from your pump must be sufficient to provide enough pressure to act on the ram and lift the required load. The size of your cylinder won’t matter if you aren’t able to supply enough pressure. At PowerX International, we specialize in 10,000 PSI (700 BAR) hand pumps, air/over hydraulic pumps and electric pumps. Therefore, the following examples will be based on 10,000 PSI.

Step 3: Find out how many “points” are going to lift the load

Some lifts are a simple one-point lift, but sometimes it is not feasible to balance a load with only one ram. Some lifting jobs require two or more points. Once you know the amount of lift points and the total load you are going to lift, you can calculate the size of the jack(s) needed. This can be found by dividing the total load by the amount of points. For example, a 100 ton load with one lift point would need at least a 100 ton ram. However, that same load with four lift points would require four 25 ton cylinders.

This assumes the load is evenly distributed. If it’s off-balance, some cylinders may need to handle more than their share. It’s always a good idea to account for a safety margin. Take care to evenly distribute the weight so you can trust the lift will be successful.

If your lift does require a multi-jack setup, you will need to select a pump with the appropriate oil capacity. The pump needs the appropriate oil capacity to ensure it can fully extend all the cylinders in the lift setup without running out of hydraulic fluid. Browse our full hydraulic pump selection on our website.

Step 4: Always have a safety factor

Safety is not just a feature; it should be the standard! Most loads are never exactly what they appear to be. To be safe, you should never push the limits of the ram’s maximum capacity for a job. Because of this, it is recommended that at a minimum, you use a jack that is 125% of the capacity needed. You should ideally have a cylinder (or cylinders) that can handle a load 1.5 times to 2 times larger than the load you are trying to lift.

Load, Lifting Points, and Cylinder Sizing Example

Load Requirement

Total Load: 160,000 lbs

Conversion: 160,000 lbs / 2,000 lbs/ton = 80 tons

Lifting Configuration

Number of Lift Points: 4

Load per Cylinder: 80 tons / 4 cylinders = 20 tons per cylinder

Safety Factor Applied

Applying a 25% safety factor:

20 tons × 1.25 = 25 tons per cylinder

Final Cylinder Selection

Required Cylinder Capacity: 25 tons each

Total System Capacity: 25 tons × 4 cylinders = 100 tons at 10,000 PSI

Conclusion

Use four (4) 25-ton hydraulic cylinders to safely lift the 160,000 lb load.

Avoid Lift Failure with Proper Cylinder Care.

One common reason for hydraulic ram failure is that the seals become dry, dirty, and damaged. Make sure you inspect your cylinders prior to use, so you don’t end up with a non-working hydraulic jack when it comes time to lift. Downtime is not an option.

Make sure you inspect your cylinders prior to use, so you don’t end up with a non-working hydraulic jack when it comes time to lift. Downtime is not an option.

Measure First, Lift Once

There’s an old saying in carpentry that says, “Measure twice, cut once.” A similar notion can be applied to choosing the right size of ram for any lifting job. If you have been using hydraulic cylinders for the same job for many years, you probably are sure the job will be successful; that’s great! However, when you are dealing with heavy loads and expensive contracts, guessing should never be the option. It is better practice to measure and calculate the size of the jack needed. This way, you won’t have to go back for different cylinders if yours isn’t big enough. Plus, your lift won’t fail midway through the job.

Still Need Help Finding the Right Fit for You?

Another way to determine the right sized hydraulic cylinder for your lift is to view or download our catalog. You can also call us and one of our knowledgeable representatives will help you find the right PowerX hydraulic ram for your application.

Still don’t see what you are looking for? We also feature a Custom Hydraulic Cylinder Configurator to help you create a custom quote and instantly send it to our engineering department. We can build rams with specific tonnage capacities and stroke lengths. While longer strokes usually increase the collapsed height, we can often adjust housing and rod dimensions to fit your space constraints. Mounting hole patterns are also configurable, provided structural integrity and performance standards are maintained.

PowerX International has the expertise to help you with your lift requirements and the high-quality hydraulic jacks, hydraulic pumps and hydraulic systems to get the job done. Contact PowerX at 414-988-6202 for all your high-pressure hydraulic needs.