Hydraulic Cylinders And Their Use In Tool Design

Hydraulic cylinders are used in a huge range of industries and for a wide variety of purposes. One of their most common roles is in injection moulding tooling, which includes the production of slides, core pulls, ejection and reverse ejection, gas-assisted overflows and valve pins, amongst a thousand other components.

Hydraulic cylinders are an essential component when it comes to tool production. However, it is important to have an understanding of set/pull pressures and speeds. These features can directly affect downtime with leaks and repairs.

Pressure And Speed

These two features can be considered as both your friend and your enemy. Time, as the old saying goes, is money, and so you might expect the speedy option to be the most user-friendly. However, if it causes an impact with a mechanical feature, then this will result in stress, wear and you will no doubt end up with a few broken hydraulic components in T-slot couplers or threaded rod-ends.

Inserting cushions into your hydraulic cylinders can directly soften the impact and result in a longer-lasting, quieter operation. When it comes to the pull direction, it is much better to have your hydraulic cylinder bottom out instead of your component. On the set position, your hydraulic component needs to be safe at home, so you typically don't want your hydraulic cylinder to bottom out.

Hydraulic Cylinders And Pressures

Pressure can also have negative effect on your hydraulic components. For example, on the set position, if your component is relying on hydraulic pressure to overcome plastic/cavity pressure, youll typically need to set your pressures higher than normal. If your hydraulic component is locked in place, with a lock angle on the stationary half, you wont need to use excessive hydraulic pressures, just enough to move the component itself.

The most common issues with hydraulic cylinders in tool production and design are the risk of over-estimating pressures. In most cases, this manifests itself at the attachment point of the hydraulic cylinder rod and the hydraulic component. Often, this is where the most stress is applied and the attachment point itself can often become stretched.

One final thing to consider when using T-slot couplers is that if your hydraulic system features any sharp corners on the T or on the slot itself, then your systems chance of failure due to stress will be increased. Take care to understand the hydraulic pressures that your system requires for movement and effective operation, and you will be able to distinctly lower the chance of a hydraulic system failure.

Here at Flowfit Online, we are proud to be the UKs leading provider of industry-leading hydraulic cylinders, components and systems. If you're looking for reliable hydraulic components, then you need to look no further than the diverse range of hydraulic features available from Flowfit.

For more information, fcall the Flowfit team of hydraulic and motor system specialists today on 01584 876 033, or email us directly at sales@flowfitonline.com.