The Basics of a Welded Hydraulic Cylinder

There are some manufacturers of hydraulic cylinders that make the full scope of all types of cylinders and all types of accessories for hydraulic systems.

We believe in quality and efficiency, so we specialize in the custom manufacturing of welded hydraulic cylinders. Of course, we make a full line of welded units including telescopic cylinders, but the vast majority of our efforts are focused on single and double acting welded cylinders.

Why Welded?

We believe in welded cylinders because of the many technical advantages. Are they harder to manufacture? Sure, but as we mentioned above, we manufacture for quality, not quantity. Tie rod style cylinders are much faster to assemble. An unskilled technician can assemble tie-rod cylinders with little training whereas a welded cylinder requires a skilled welder to complete. Our highly skilled technicians set Southern Hydraulic units apart from the pack.

A welded cylinder has a much longer service life than a tie-rod cylinder. Tie rods will inevitably stretch over their service life due to the massive forces applied to them. After a few years, the cylinder’s caps will begin to lose their tight seal and the cylinder starts to lose power. Does that sound like something you want to happen to your hydraulic cylinders?

The welded hydraulic cylinder is more robust, which is why we specialize in this style for medium to heavy duty lifting and equipment. They are more sophisticated in their design and more rugged and durable even in extreme weather and operating conditions.

Single vs. Double Acting

Regardless of the shape or size of single action hydraulic cylinder, they all work as a mechanical actuator to create a force in one direction. This is the pushing or lifting force as the single action uses the weight of the equipment to return the piston rod to its initial position.

A double acting cylinder uses a self-generated force to both extend the rod and also return the rod to the cylinder. This requires an additional set of hoses that connect to the top of the cylinder and allow the hydraulic, under pressure, to enter to create the downward force. The applications abound for single and double acting cylinders, which is why we focus our efforts on both.