Calculate hydraulic pressure from force and piston area. Enter cylinder force, bore diameter, piston area, or rod diameter to estimate hydraulic pressure in PSI, kPa, bar, MPa, pascals, and tons per square inch.
Force:
Enter the force the cylinder needs to create. Higher force requires higher pressure for the same piston area.
Area:
Use bore diameter, piston area, or annular area. Annular area is useful for rod-side or retract-side calculations.
Efficiency:
Lower efficiency increases the estimated required pressure to account for losses.
A hydraulic pressure calculator is useful for hydraulic cylinders, presses, jacks, actuators, equipment sizing, shop estimates, mechanical design examples, and comparing force, bore size, and pressure.
This calculator is for estimates. Real hydraulic systems also need hose ratings, cylinder ratings, relief valve settings, flow, seals, temperature, and safety factors.
The basic hydraulic pressure formula is:
Pressure = Force ÷ Area
Hydraulic pressure is calculated by dividing force by area. In U.S. units, PSI equals pounds-force divided by square inches.
Yes. A larger piston area creates more force at the same pressure, so less pressure is needed for the same force.
Annular area is the piston area minus the rod area. It is commonly used for rod-side or retract-side cylinder calculations.
Hydraulic cylinder force equals pressure multiplied by piston area. Rearranged, pressure equals force divided by area.