Challenged with Long-Stroke Hydraulic Cylinder Performance? Read This
Industrial OEMs and end users rely on traditional tie-rod cylinders to deliver power to industrial presses, mills, foundries, power generation, oil and gas exploration and other extreme, heavy duty applications.
As the workhorse of the industrial cylinder market, tie-rod cylinders perform reliably and offer tremendous flexibility including several mounting options, cushions, position feedback, etc. However, tie-rod cylinders do have some limitations, particularly in longer strokes. Serviceability can be a concern, due to the added complexities of assembling and torquing long tie rods. And for some design-sensitive applications, the visible tie-rod profile can be aesthetically disruptive.
For operations where such concerns are an issue, the introduction of a new class of heavy-duty, non-tie-rod cylinders will be welcome news.
Improved performance and serviceability
For applications with longer strokes, our 2HB and 3HB non-tie rod cylinders offer reduced complexity and weight versus comparable tie-rod cylinders. Parker’s 2HB and 3HB Series of cylinders are available in 1½” to 14″ bores sizes and are dimensionally interchangeable with their tie-rod counterparts, since they adhere to the same industry standard – ANSI/(NFPA) T3.6.7R3 – 2009.
Tie-rods are eliminated through an innovative design which utilizes flanges threaded onto both ends of the cylinder body. The head and cap are bolted to the threaded body flanges with Socket Head Cap Screws (SHCSs) with a small gap between. That gap allows for the head & cap to be preloaded against the end of the cylinder body when the SHCSs are torqued.
The resulting configuration presents a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing design. Perhaps most importantly, 2HB and 3HB cylinders enable industrial users to achieve current levels of performance while eliminating tie-rod-related fatigue and maintenance concerns. These non-tie-rod cylinders meet NFPA fatigue tests for reliable performance using standard, field-proven components. They are built to a design safety factor of 4:1 on burst.
To learn more about the benefits of using non-tie rod cylinders for your long stroke industrial applications, download our Long-Stroke Industrial Cylinder Performance white paper.
Raising standards in performance, durability and trouble-free operation
Improving hydraulic cylinder performance in long-stroke applications is a challenge for industrial OEMs and operators alike. For their heavy-duty industrial applications, replacing traditional tie-rod hydraulic cylinders with non-tie cylinders can extend service life, reduce downtime, increase throughput and ultimately increase the profitability of applications requiring stroke lengths over five feet. For OEMs incorporating cylinders into heavy-duty industrial equipment and machines or into apparatus where design aesthetics are important, non-tie-rod cylinders offer several differentiating benefits for competitive advantage.
Tie-rod cylinders will remain the workhorse of the industrial world, but for those applications demanding long-stroke performance, there is now a viable alternative capable of meeting the high-performance expectations of extreme-duty environments.
To learn more about using non-tie rod cylinders for your long stroke industrial applications, including a university architectural application case study, download our Long-Stroke Industrial Cylinder Performance white paper.
Article contributed by Bruce Kohlmeyer, engineer manager, Parker Cylinder Division.
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Source: Parker Feed