Enerpac hydraulic workholding cylinders are designed for clamping, positioning, holding, pushing, pulling, and supporting components in machining, manufacturing, assembly, and production applications. Unlike conventional lifting cylinders, workholding cylinders are engineered for integration into fixtures, machines, tooling, and automated production systems where compact installation, repeatability, and controlled hydraulic force are critical.
This collection includes 223 Enerpac workholding cylinders across a wide range of configurations, including tie rod, threaded body, block and manifold, hollow plunger, pull, swing clamp, universal, and specialty cylinder designs. Use the categories below to narrow the selection based on how the cylinder needs to mount, move, and apply force within the fixture.
Shop Enerpac Workholding Cylinders by Type
Tie Rod Hydraulic Cylinders
Enerpac tie rod hydraulic cylinders provide durable construction and flexible mounting options for workholding, positioning, pressing, and production applications. They are well suited for fixtures and machinery where a conventional cylinder body and adaptable mounting arrangement are required.
Threaded Body Hydraulic Cylinders
Threaded body cylinders install directly into a fixture or machine using the cylinder body's external threads. Their compact installation makes them particularly useful where available space is limited and the cylinder needs to become an integrated part of the tooling.
Block & Manifold Hydraulic Cylinders
Block and manifold cylinders provide compact hydraulic force for tightly integrated fixture applications. Block cylinders offer compact rectangular construction, while manifold-mounted cylinders can connect directly to hydraulic passages incorporated into the fixture or tooling.
Workholding Hollow Plunger Cylinders
Hollow plunger workholding cylinders allow rods, bolts, cables, tooling, and other components to pass through the center of the cylinder. This makes them useful for pushing, pulling, tensioning, clamping, pressing, and other applications requiring hydraulic force around a central component.
Workholding Pull Cylinders
Enerpac workholding pull cylinders apply hydraulic force by drawing a component toward the cylinder. They are designed for clamping, tensioning, positioning, and fixture applications where pulling force is required instead of conventional pushing action.
Hydraulic Swing Clamp Cylinders
Hydraulic swing clamp cylinders combine rotational and vertical movement to automatically move a clamping arm into position over the workpiece. When released, the arm swings away to provide clear access for loading, unloading, machining, or assembly.
Universal Workholding Cylinders
Universal workholding cylinders provide flexible mounting options for fixtures and machinery where a threaded-body, manifold, or other specialized mounting arrangement is not appropriate. They can be used for clamping, positioning, pressing, holding, and other general workholding functions.
Specialty Workholding Cylinders
Specialty workholding cylinders provide application-specific capabilities such as positive clamping, compact push-cylinder configurations, and mechanically maintained holding force. These cylinders are designed for production applications that require capabilities beyond conventional cylinder configurations.
How to Choose a Hydraulic Workholding Cylinder
Start by determining what the cylinder needs to accomplish within the fixture. Consider whether the application requires pushing, pulling, clamping, positioning, holding, pressing, or another type of controlled movement.
Next, determine the force and stroke required. Hydraulic force must be sufficient to securely control the workpiece or tooling without unnecessarily oversizing the cylinder, while stroke must provide enough movement to engage, position, or release the component.
Mounting method is especially important in workholding applications. A threaded body cylinder may be appropriate when the cylinder needs to install directly through a fixture plate, while a block or manifold cylinder may provide a more compact integrated installation. Tie rod and universal cylinders offer additional mounting flexibility, and swing clamps can provide unobstructed workpiece access during loading and unloading.
Also consider whether the application requires single-acting or double-acting operation, available installation space, hydraulic connection method, operating pressure, cycle requirements, and the dimensions of the surrounding fixture or machine.
Hydraulic Workholding for Manufacturing and Production
Hydraulic workholding can improve repeatability by applying controlled clamping and positioning force from one production cycle to the next. It can also reduce manual fixture operation and make it easier to coordinate multiple clamping points within a machining or assembly process.
Because workholding cylinders are frequently integrated directly into fixtures and machines, cylinder selection should account for the complete system rather than capacity alone. Mounting dimensions, hydraulic circuitry, clearance, tooling access, operating sequence, and workpiece geometry can all influence which cylinder configuration is appropriate.
Workholding Cylinders vs. Conventional Hydraulic Cylinders
Workholding cylinders are generally optimized for fixture integration, compact installation, controlled production movement, and repeated cycling. Conventional hydraulic cylinders are more commonly used for lifting, pushing, maintenance, construction, and general industrial applications.
If your application involves conventional lifting or pushing rather than machine fixturing, browse our Enerpac General Purpose Hydraulic Cylinders. For heavy lifting applications, see our Enerpac High Tonnage Hydraulic Cylinders.
