Calculate extension and retraction force, required bore and normalised air consumption of a pneumatic cylinder.
Complete the inputs and calculate.
Calculate extension/retraction force and free-air demand for a pneumatic cylinder.
Gauge pressure, bore, rod diameter, efficiency and stroke; direction selects full or annular area.
Operating pressure is gauge pressure relative to ambient, which keeps force clear when the opposite side is vented. The rod reduces area during retraction, while stroke and pressure also set free-air demand and compressor load.
F = p₍g₎·A·η. Air is reported as free air at 1.01325 bar(a) and 20 °C; retraction uses annular area.
6 bar(g) and 50 mm bore give about 1,178 N ideal extension force; the rod lowers retraction force.
Sources and limits: ISO 1219-1 symbols and ISO 4414 safety context; check friction, cushioning and dynamic loads.
Calculate extension/retraction force and free-air demand for a pneumatic cylinder.
Pneumatics uses compressed air as the working medium. Force and speed depend on piston area and pressure as well as compressible air volume, normalized flow and valve characteristics.
F = p₍g₎·A·η. Air is reported as free air at 1.01325 bar(a) and 20 °C; retraction uses annular area.
Gauge pressure, bore, rod diameter, efficiency and stroke; direction selects full or annular area. Operating pressure is gauge pressure relative to ambient, which keeps force clear when the opposite side is vented. The rod reduces area during retraction, while stroke and pressure also set free-air demand and compressor load.
Enter operating gauge pressure, piston bore, rod diameter, efficiency and stroke, and select extension or retraction direction. The calculator returns theoretical force and free-air consumption (referenced to 1.01325 bar(a), 20 °C).
6 bar(g) and 50 mm bore give about 1,178 N ideal extension force; the rod lowers retraction force.
Operating pressure is gauge pressure relative to ambient, which keeps force clear when the opposite side is vented. The rod reduces area during retraction, while stroke and pressure also set free-air demand and compressor load. Normalized flow is air flow converted to reference conditions. It is not the geometric chamber volume, so small lines or valves can strongly limit real cycle time.
Pressure in bar(g), diameter in millimetres, force in N, air volume in normal litres (Nl).
Sizing a pneumatic cylinder for a known force requirement, or estimating air consumption for compressor and line-network sizing.
ISO 1219-1 symbols and ISO 4414 safety context; check friction, cushioning and dynamic loads.
Common mistake: Don't confuse normalized flow with the actual compressed air volume in the cylinder – free-air quantity is larger than the geometric chamber volume by the absolute pressure ratio, due to compression. For retraction, use the annular area reduced by the rod's cross-section, not the full piston area.
Compressed air in the cylinder occupies less space than at atmospheric pressure; converting to free air (normal state) makes air quantities comparable independent of operating pressure and is the standard pneumatic reference.
Pneumatic systems typically operate at much lower pressure (often 6 to 10 bar) than hydraulic systems (often 100 to 350 bar), giving noticeably lower forces at the same bore.
It's an ideal value. Seal friction, cushioning, dynamic loads and air-pressure fluctuations must be additionally considered for a real selection.
Force = gauge pressure × effective piston area × efficiency. Air quantities are reported as free air at 1.01325 bar(a) and 20 °C.
Results are preliminary engineering estimates. Manufacturer curves, loads, temperature, leakage, cushioning, and the complete safety and pressure-equipment assessment remain separate.
ISO 1219-1 and ISO 6358-1 provide symbols, terminology, and test-method context; ISO 4414 is used as a safety context. No standards compliance is certified.