Replacing a Hydraulic Cylinder With Electric
There are three ways to take a hydraulic cylinder off a machine and go electric. The right one depends on how far the joint moves, how much load it carries and whether the machine has any hydraulics left.
Evaluation unit A$4,950, credited in full against your first order of 10 or more. About 2 months lead time.
Why it works electric
1. An electric linear actuator
A motor-driven screw in a tube, bolted where the cylinder was. The simplest swap on paper, but off-the-shelf units for mobile machines top out at tens of kN, long strokes can buckle, and the screw takes shock loads straight on.
2. An electro-hydraulic actuator
A small pump, reservoir and cylinder sealed in one unit, driven by an electric motor. It removes the hose run, but there is still oil inside, and low-voltage units are limited in force.
3. Drive the joint directly
Take the cylinder away and put an electric rotary actuator at the pivot. There is no stroke to buckle, the torque is the same across the whole range of movement, and it is just as strong in both directions. This is what the RG600 does.
Why driving the joint wins on strength
A cylinder's leverage on a joint changes as the joint moves, and it pulls with only the ring around its rod — often 50–70% of its push force. A rotary drive at the pivot gives the same torque everywhere, both ways.
Worked example: what the cylinder really gives you
- A 63 mm bore cylinder at 180 bar works a joint on a 100 mm lever arm.
- Pushing: 63 mm bore = 3,117 mm² × 18 N/mm² = 56,110 N × 0.1 m = 5,611 Nm.
- Pulling, with a 35 mm rod: (3,117 − 962) mm² × 18 N/mm² = 38,790 N × 0.1 m = 3,879 Nm.
- So the joint has about 5,600 Nm one way and 3,900 Nm the other — and less again wherever the cylinder's angle reduces its leverage.
Where it doesn't fit
If the machine already runs a hydraulic pump for other jobs, or the joint must move fast or absorb digging impacts, keep the cylinder. Electric wins on battery-electric machines with slow, heavy joints.
FAQ
Can I replace a hydraulic cylinder with an electric actuator?
Yes. Either swap it for an electric linear actuator of similar force and stroke, or remove it and drive the joint directly with an electric rotary actuator. For heavy joints the rotary route avoids buckling and gives the same torque in both directions.
How do I size an electric replacement for my cylinder?
Work out the torque the cylinder puts on the joint: cylinder force × lever arm. Our hydraulic cylinder torque calculator does it from bore, rod, pressure and lever arm, and suggests a ratio from the speed you need.
Is an electric replacement weaker than hydraulics?
Not at the joint. The RG600 is rated to 6,000 Nm continuous with 10,000 Nm max for shock and peak loads, in about 20 kg. It is slower than hydraulics, which is why it suits lifts, folds, tilts and legs rather than fast swing.
Send us the joint
Tell us what it moves, the torque and speed, and how often it runs. We'll come back with the ratio, motor and pricing — no drawings needed to start. The RG600 is rated to 6,000 Nm continuous with 10,000 Nm max for shock and peak loads.