Hydraulic Cylinder Mounting Options: Best Practices for Stability and Alignment

Selecting the right cylinder mounting type results in the most efficient interface between the cylinder and your equipment. This can also minimize the wear and fatigue points and results in better performance and service life. With so many different hydraulic cylinder mounting options on the market, how do you know which is right for your cylinder? Our team has outlined some of your options. 

Common Hydraulic Cylinder Mounting Options

Flange

Flange mounts are most often rod-end or cap-end mounts that consist of a plate welded to the cylinder with bolt holes that align to a mating plate in the application. Flange mounts are rigid and do not allow for rotational motion of the cylinder.

Trunnion

Trunnion mounts consist of a pin on each side of the cylinder barrel supporting the cylinder in the assembly. The trunnion pins can be located anywhere along the barrel allowing for very short closed pin centers. Trunnion mounts can be combined with most rod mounting styles and allow the cylinder to rotate radially on one plane.

Clevis

Clevis mounts are a “U” shaped mount welded to the end of the barrel or rod. It is meant to engage with a single tab and secured with a pin. Clevis mounts can be bored to tight tolerances or incorporate bushings to absorb wear.

Cross Tube

Cross tube mounts are a tube welded across the end of the barrel or rod. It is meant to engage between two lugs and secured with a pin. Cross tubes can be bored to tight tolerances or incorporate bushings to absorb wear.

Lug

Single lugs consist of a tang or lug welded to the end of the barrel or rod which can be machined, drilled and bored to tight tolerances, and incorporate bushings to absorb wear or spherical bearings to address issues of alignment in the application. 

Custom Cylinders Create More Options for Mounting Designs

Choosing a custom welded hydraulic cylinder opens up your options for mounting designs and provides benefits for your application.

Optimized for Fit and Function

Custom cylinder designs can incorporate the best mounting options for your application. This includes combinations of different mounts for the rod end and barrel end of the cylinder. Custom mounting designs and combinations can allow for more cylinder stroke in a shorter overall design. Custom mounting designs can also be tailored to the functional requirements of your application taking into account the potential forces that may be generated.

Increased Service Life

Custom design cylinder mounts can increase service life by sizing the mounts to fit precisely into your application and incorporating features like grease zerks, bushings and spherical bearings that minimize binding and other alignment issues. 

Easy Assembly

Customized cylinders designs with custom mounts can make assembly easy. They will be designed and manufactured to your exact specification with consistent fit-up characteristics and can ship with all necessary mounting hardware.

Turn to Aurelius To Explore the Right Hydraulic Cylinder Mounting Options for Your Application 

We have over 40 years of experience manufacturing custom welded hydraulic cylinders at Aurelius Manufacturing. Our team will work with you to develop the best hydraulic cylinder solution for your application.

We are committed to quality, responsiveness, and reliable lead-times in order to maximize our contribution to your business.
Ready to get started? Contact our team today.