How do you calculate the force for a pneumatic cylinder?

This article describes how to calculate the force that a given pneumatic cylinder can produce.

To calculate the force in a pneumatic cylinder, you can use the following formula:

Force (F) = Pressure (P) × Effective Piston Area (A)

Where:

Force (F) is the force exerted by the pneumatic cylinder, typically measured in Newtons (N) or pounds-force (lbf).
Pressure (P) is the pressure of the compressed air inside the cylinder, usually measured in Pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch (psi).
Effective Piston Area (A) is the cross-sectional area of the piston inside the cylinder, measured in square meters (m²) or square inches (in²).

Here's how to calculate the force in a pneumatic cylinder:

Determine the Pressure (P): Measure or obtain the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the pneumatic cylinder. Ensure that you use the appropriate units, either Pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch (psi).
Calculate the Effective Piston Area (A): The effective piston area is the area of the piston that is exposed to the compressed air. You can calculate it using the formula:

A = π × (Radius of Piston)^2

Make sure that the radius is in meters (m) if the pressure is in Pascals (Pa) or in inches (in) if the pressure is in psi.
Plug the Values into the Formula: Multiply the pressure (P) by the effective piston area (A) to find the force (F):

F = P × A
Convert Units (if necessary): Ensure that the units for pressure and piston area are consistent. If the pressure is in psi and the piston area is in square inches, the resulting force will be in pounds-force (lbf). If the pressure is in Pascals and the piston area is in square meters, the resulting force will be in Newtons (N).