Hydraulics Are Found Everywhere

Posted on: 19 April 2023

Hydraulics is a field of mechanics that uses liquids to move things around. The theory of hydraulics is that fluid doesn't compress, so when you put pressure on it, the liquid wants to move, and that movement can move something if it is appropriately directed. A very basic hydraulic system consists of reservoirs and valves, and when the valve opens, fluid moves from the reservoir and causes the arm of a tractor to move. Hydraulic cylinders are also used as part of the system. Different kinds of hydraulic cylinders can be found in hydraulic systems. 

Single Acting Cylinders

These cylinders only move in one direction when the hydraulic fluid is pushed into the tube. As the fluid gets pushed into the cylinder, it makes the piston stick out of the head end of the cylinder. An outside force must be applied to get the piston back into the cylinder. For example, you would have to push the piston down or use something like a load string. Some examples of single-acting cylinders include hydraulic pressured brakes on machines. You can also find these cylinders in a hydraulic jack that you might keep in your trunk to change a flat. 

Telescopic Cylinders

A telescopic cylinder can be either a single-acting or a double-acting cylinder. Inside the tube of the cylinder, there are several stages. These stages are tubes in a series of smaller diameters. When the hydraulic cylinder is activated, the tubes extend until they are all out and extended to full length. These cylinders get used because the main body of the cylinder is shorter, so it can be used in small spaces, but the area where the cylinder is being used needs to have a longer piston length to work. The telescopic stages give the piston the length it needs to work, so it's the best of both worlds. These cylinders are generally found in places like dump trucks. When the dump truck is flat, there is limited space for the cylinder body, but the piston needs to be longer so that it can tip the bed of the truck to be emptied. 

Hydraulic systems are used in everything from doors to construction equipment. There are a number of kinds of cylinders that can be found in those systems. When something goes wrong with them, it's important to take them to an expert for repair because the system has to stay properly balanced. 

For more info, contact a company like Miller Hydraulics Service, Inc.

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