Tandem hydraulic cylinders are versatile and adaptable components and can be used in a variety of mechanical applications. Completely customisable, they can provide the perfect solution when single hydraulic cylinders lack the force required to set machinery in motion. Yet for such a powerful piece of equipment, they are surprisingly simple in design.
Original Principles
A single hydraulic cylinder consists of just four elements: a cylindrical outer casing or barrel, an open gland at one end, a sealed butt at the base which is fixed to the machinery and a piston rod enclosed within the barrel. When pressurised fluid bursts into the chamber, the piston rod rotates as it is thrust at high speed through the open gland before being retracted. By harnessing the energy of the pressurised fluid, the hydraulic cylinder creates the initial thrust needed to spark machinery into action. A tandem hydraulic cylinder is simply an adaptation of two hydraulic cylinders placed end to end to create a longer barrel.
Why Use A Tandem Hydraulic Cylinder?
To prolong the serviceable life of expensive industrial machinery, it is frequently in need of adaptation to accommodate new procedures or materials. During the process, it is often found to lack the impetus that is needed to create motion. One option is to increase power by using hydraulic cylinders with larger diameter barrels but this is sometimes impractical due to a lack of space. The perfect cost effective solution is to fit tandem hydraulic cylinders, creating barrels that are twice as long.
The Power Of Tandem Hydraulic Cylinders
Using two interconnected single hydraulic cylinders creates a tandem hydraulic cylinder with one double length barrel. Although the operating pressure remains the same as before, the surface area of the pistons is now so greatly increased that it doubles the force or thrust, providing the additional power needed to create motion. Depending on how the tandem hydraulic cylinders are to be used, the piston rods can be attached producing equal strokes or unattached with unequal strokes. Attached piston rods are often more effective in achieving the highest increase in power.
Practical Uses
Tandem hydraulic cylinders are invaluable in maintaining the effectiveness of heavy industrial machinery. General applications include fork lift trucks, elevated work platforms, cranes and barges. Agricultural machinery such as combine harvesters and vehicles used for ploughing and spraying often require the additional power provided by tandem cylinders. Heavy plant used in mining and earth moving – such as excavators and crushing equipment – have some of the most intense workloads and are also often reliant on tandem hydraulic cylinders.
Cost Effective Hydraulic Solutions
High-quality tandem hydraulic cylinders provide a cost effective solution for increasing power. They utilise the original mounts and threads ensuring a quick and easy fit. At Ranger Caradoc, we have more than forty years’ experience manufacturing customisable hydraulic cylinders to the highest specifications. Download our free guides – The Buyers Guide To Hydraulic Cylinders and The OEM Guide To Hydraulic Systems to find out more.
