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Simply put, a hydraulic system uses high pressure fluid to move mechanical components of machinery. Within these systems, fluid is housed within a hydraulic cylinder along with a piston and pistons rods. The piston uses the hydraulic pressure created by the fluid to move back and forth in order to drive machinery. On one end of the cylinder is the cap and on the other is the cylinder head, which is where the piston comes out of the cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder is commonly referred to as the “motor”. Whereas, the hydraulic pump, which regulates the flow of fluid to the cylinder, is referred to as the “generator.” Due to their high efficiency and reliability, hydraulics are commonly used in many industries.
With the increase in aircraft performance that occurred during the middle part of the 20th century, the quantity of force necessary for mechanical flight control operations became very high. Hydraulics are used, at minimum, in all landing gear, flaps, and brakes of modern planes because they are able to transmit a very high force with only a small amount of hydraulic oil. On larger and more complex aircraft, you will also find hydraulics in flight controls, spoilers, thrust reversers, windshield wipers, cargo doors, and nose wheel steering, to name a few. When every ounce matters like it does on a plane, the efficiencies and light weight offered by hydraulics solidify their role in modern day avionics.
With fewer moving parts, such as gears and pulleys, hydraulics are simple and efficient. First, hydraulic systems are easily and accurately controlled by simple levers and push button stops and starts. In addition, hydraulics provide constant force and easily tackle very large weights. Finally, hydraulics do not cause sparks. Therefore, they are used in applications, such as gasoline pumps and mines, where sparks could be devastating. Despite all the advantages, there are a few disadvantages of hydraulic systems. Hydraulic fluid is very messy and too much exposure can have adverse health effects. When a leak occurs, it can also be difficult to completely repair. Because of the extremely high pressure generated by these components, bursting can also cause serious injury. In order to stay safe and keep your hydraulic system in tip-top condition, regular maintenance and inspection is vital.
The three main styles of modern hydraulic cylinders are tie rod style cylinders, welded body cylinders, and telescoping cylinders. Each of these three types of cylinders can be either single or double acting. Single acting cylinders use hydraulic force to either extend or retract the piston rod from the cylinder. Conversely, double acting cylinders use hydraulic force to both extend and retract the piston. Utilizing high strength threaded steel rods holding the end caps to the barrel, tie rod style hydraulic cylinders are most often found in industrial applications. Because the dimensions of the hydraulic tie cylinders have been standardized by the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA), cylinders from different manufacturers are able to interchange with the same mountings. These types of cylinders are generally completely disassembled for service and/or repair. Next are welded body cylinders, which have no tie rods because the caps are welded directly onto the barrel. Because of their design, welded body cylinders tend to be difficult to inspect and repair and often require specialty tools and equipment for maintenance. Lastly, telescoping cylinders are utilized when the stroke length far exceeds the retracted length. Most commonly, telescoping hydraulic cylinders are found in dump beds and trailers.
By this point, you might be asking yourself, “What is aluminum’s role in the manufacturing of hydraulic cylinders?” The answer is simple: hydraulic manifolds. A hydraulic manifold regulates the fluid flow between pumps, actuators, and other parts. Just like a switchboard in an electrical circuit controlling current, the hydraulic manifold manages the fluid by monitoring both the pressure and volume flowing between all machinery within the complete hydraulic system. Because aluminum extrusions are very commonly used to manufacture hydraulic manifolds, most aluminum squares and rectangles over 1.0” are produced to an industry specification called manifold quality. Manifold quality extrusions are produced to half-commercial, plus side only tolerances and are able to successfully undergo complex machining processes that have high metal removal rates. In addition, manifold quality bar offers significant hardness improvements, flatness and straightness improvements and enhanced mechanical strength when compared to standard aluminum extrusions. Finally, manifold quality aluminum extruded bar also produces more compact ships, which improves consistency and increases throughput during the hydraulic cylinder machining process. With so many improvements, it is easy to see why manifold quality extruded aluminum bars are a top choice for the hydraulic manufacturing industry.
