Customised hydraulic cylinders vs. standard cylinders: When is custom engineering worthwhile?

Thanks to ISO standards, standard cylinders are the fastest and most cost-effective way to implement linear movements hydraulically for many applications. However, as soon as installation space becomes limited, environmental conditions are critical or maximum service life is required, standard cylinders reach their physical and economic limits.

In such scenarios, custom engineering opens up decisive design freedom: individually designed cylinders can be precisely adapted to the installation space, medium and load profile, maintain their efficiency throughout their entire life cycle and ensure the availability of complex systems.

At ACONA, we accompany you from the initial idea to the ready-to-install cylinder – including planning, calculation, production and long-term service

Standard cylinders at a glance – where their limits lie

Standard cylinders in accordance with ISO 6020/6022 or similar standards score points above all with short delivery times and attractive unit prices: thanks to fixed installation dimensions, sealing systems and pressure stages, they can be pre-produced in large numbers and stored in stock. This is perfectly adequate for typical applications – such as in small presses or simple lifting tables.

However, as soon as stroke lengths exceeding six metres, pressures above the standard or piston diameters of up to 800 millimetres are required, standard solutions reach their limits: adapter plates, additional guides, special connections or customer-specific requirements often make the use of standardised products impossible.

In addition, there is an increased risk of failure when components are operated permanently at the upper load limit.

Therefore, if frequent load changes, corrosive media or extreme temperatures play a role, it should be checked at an early stage whether a tailor-made special solution represents a more economical and reliable alternative over the entire life cycle.

Ein Mitarbeiter von ACONA bedient eine Fräsmaschine zur Herstellung von Bauteilen für innovative Hydraulikzylinder

Custom Engineering in detail: Technical and economic added value

Customised hydraulic cylinders often start out as virtual CAD models. FEM analysis and realistic simulations enable millimetre-precise designs that are perfectly suited to the installation space, medium and load profiles. Some typical advantages of special cylinders are:

Power reserves and lower weight

Optimised wall thicknesses and lightweight geometries enable higher material utilisation – more performance with the same component weight.
Longer service life

Modern surface hardening such as our deep-R process strengthens the weld seams, increases the cylinder service life by up to 100% and boosts cylinder performance by around 25%.
Individual material selection

Depending on the application scenario, high-quality materials are used – from high-strength steels and corrosion-resistant stainless steels to low-friction copper alloys that are precisely adapted to the respective operating conditions. This well-thought-out material selection for high-performance cylinders maximises service life and performance.
Cost-effectiveness

Custom engineering can pay off even with low quantities if unplanned downtime causes high follow-up costs. Longer service life and reduced maintenance significantly lower the total costs over the entire life cycle.
Everything from a single source

Suppliers such as ACONA, who combine design, calculation and manufacturing at a single location, minimise coordination efforts and can often deliver special cylinders several weeks faster than suppliers with multi-stage supply chains.

Practical insights: Successful industry examples

Crane and lifting technology

Hydraulic cylinders that operate under pressure – for example, hydraulic cylinders for cranes – must be able to withstand high lateral loads and strong gusts of wind and reliably prevent sudden buckling of the piston rod. They operate safely at temperatures ranging from –20 °C to +60 °C, withstand dynamic load changes and remain as light as possible in order to ensure the long-term stability of mobile and tower cranes.

Construction and mining machinery

Extremely robust tilt and bucket cylinders are used in large excavators and dump trucks. Hydraulic cylinders under extreme conditions often withstand pressures of up to 350 bar and resist abrasive environments, significantly reducing costly downtime in open-cast mining. Special high-temperature and dust protection seals also ensure permanently high tightness, even with extreme temperature fluctuations and intense shock loads.

Metal forming and presses

Forging and deep-drawing presses require particularly robust hydraulics: such press cylinders repeatedly exert forces in the five-digit kilonewton range. One requirement for the cylinder is often a fatigue-resistant design for millions of load cycles, so that it works reliably even at extremely high cycle rates. Individually adapted damping sections and temperature-stable sealing systems ensure stroke positions accurate to the millimetre and a long service life.

Five steps to your hydraulic cylinder – how an ACONA project works

Planning & analysis

Together, we clarify the stroke, force, installation space and environmental conditions. We rely on precise FEM analysis as standard – a service that not every hydraulic cylinder manufacturer offers. This allows us to lay the foundation for a durable, safe cylinder right from the planning phase.
Tailor-made offer

You receive a transparent cost/schedule overview, precisely tailored to your budget and delivery time. This gives you full cost transparency and planning security at an early stage.
Design & manufacturing

Our engineers implement the design and construct all components precisely for maximum service life. With modern machinery and our deep-R process, we can also reduce the weight of the cylinder while increasing performance and achieving a significantly longer service life.
Quality control & acceptance

Each cylinder undergoes pressure and functional tests – acceptance only takes place after successful testing. All test reports are documented and archived in accordance with the relevant standards.
Delivery & service

Once all tests have been successfully completed, the hydraulic cylinder is securely packaged and delivered on time. Spare and wear parts can be provided as required. This enables us to ensure the long-term availability of your equipment.

Conclusion: Customised hydraulic cylinders as a competitive advantage

Whether extreme environments, limited installation space or maximum availability – the more demanding the conditions, the faster custom engineering pays off.

Our deep-R process not only reduces component weight by around 25%, but also reduces material usage and thus the carbon footprint. At the same time, the service life is extended by up to 100%, so that a higher initial investment pays off economically over the lifetime.

Do you need a customised hydraulic cylinder for your plant or machine? At ACONA, we work with you to plan the optimal solution and accompany you from the idea to commissioning. That's why custom engineering means joint engineering for us.