Underwater hydraulic tools are used for a variety of purposes by commercial dive companies. These underwater tools make it possible to build marine floor anchoring and rigging, perform maintenance on docks and piers, and much more. Stanley provides high-quality underwater hydraulic tools that are essential for underwater construction and demolition applications for oil platforms, archeological expeditions, dam construction sites, and a variety of other underwater applications.

Underwater Applications that Require Hydraulic Power

Hydraulic tools facilitate efficient underwater construction and repair efforts. Stanley hand tools are designed to cut, grind, and clean, to complete projects at the highest level of quality. Some of the most common underwater applications for Stanley hydraulic tools include:

Underwater Construction

Divers require unique tools to perform underwater construction and repairs to structures located beneath the water’s surface. Stanley’s underwater hydraulic tools can perform tasks like pressure grouting, underwater welding, scour and erosion repair, intake cleaning, mussel surveys, salvage attempts, and underwater concrete placement. Hydraulic power tools commonly used in these applications include:

Underwater Grinders: used to grind and clean underwater structures using a variety of wheels, brushes, and other attachments.
Underwater Cut-Off Saws: equipped with heavy-duty blades that can cut through materials like metal and concrete.
Underwater Impact Drivers: a dual-purpose tool consisting of an impact wrench and wood drill.
Underwater Impact Wrenches: designed to accommodate difficult underwater bolting applications.

Underwater Demolition

Divers who perform underwater demolition do so in dangerous conditions where there is little light and space. They use underwater hydraulic tools to clear obstacles from waterways and ports and to make space for bridges and dams to be built. These tools are also used to remove underwater hazardous materials and set up explosives for underwater mining operations.

Some of the hydraulic tools used in underwater demolition include:

Underwater Breakers: Stanley hand tools that can break up concrete and remove coral from under the water’s surface.
Underwater Hammer Drills: can drill 2” holes through concrete, rock, and masonry.
Underwater Chipping Hammers: heavy-duty underwater hydraulic tools made to chip underwater materials.
Underwater Sinker Drills: drills designed to drill up to 20’ into tough surfaces like concrete, rock, and masonry.

Underwater Mining Explorations

Underwater mining is an experimental industrial field in which miners dredge the sand to remove minerals and other valuable resources from the bottom of the sea. Professionals use a variety of underwater hydraulic tools to extract these materials. Bulk cutters are powerful tools that can grind the seafloor into gravel and silt so it can be removed and placed on surface mining vessels. Underwater breakers effectively break up concrete and coral while underwater hammer drills can drill 2 in. holes into concrete, rock, and masonry.

Deep-Sea Oil & Gas Drilling

Deep-water drilling requires the use of underwater hydraulic tools to search for oil and natural gas beneath the seabed. Certain hydraulic tools can provide horizontal and directional drilling while taking precise measurements, even on remote platforms. Necessary tools like drilling rigs can drill new hole segments, while drillships are used for their ability to drill on the seabed in deep seas. Drilling vessels are also designed to drill wells of deep seas to extract oil and gas. Jack-ups, or self-elevating drilling rigs, have moveable legs that can raise and lower to perform drilling at offshore locations.

Tooling Advantages

High-quality underwater hydraulic tools are necessary for performing underwater construction and repair, and they offer a range of advantages, including:

Durability & Maintenance: Hydraulic components are protected from damaging elements by the hydraulic fluids, extending their working life and requiring minimal maintenance.
Increased Power & Productivity: Pressurized fluids can transfer more energy than their gas or pneumatic counterparts, allowing manufacturers to design hydraulic tools in smaller, more efficient configurations.
Cold & Wet Conditions: Stanley underwater hydraulic tools can operate in sub-zero temperatures without affecting performance and can be completely submerged for extended periods.
Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Operation: Stanley hydraulic tools are highly efficient and use less energy than other types of tools and they can be operated with little or no effect on the surrounding environment through the use of biodegradable hydraulic fluids.

Ready to Order Your Underwater Hydraulic Tools?

At Metro Hydraulic Jack Co., we offer a variety of underwater equipment solutions that can assist in your next project. We offer products for a variety of tasks from excavating for new construction to demolition and repair. If you’re ready to order underwater hydraulic tools for your next operation, contact us today.

Hydraulic Cylinders

Hydraulic cylinders are powerful devices that generate mechanical force for use in a wide range of industries. In industrial applications, these actuating devices employ pressurized hydraulic fluid and directional strokes to push and pull or lower and lift equipment and materials. Depending on the requirements and restrictions of the application, companies utilize different types of hydraulic cylinders that use slightly different mechanisms to generate the force required for the job.

Regardless of the application, due to their often critical function, these actuating components must demonstrate high performance and reliability. For industry professionals, these requirements necessitate purchasing and employing high-quality hydraulic cylinders from a trusted and experienced manufacturer.

At Metro Hydraulic Jack Co., we have offered quality products and services since 1941. Our extensive product catalog includes single-acting and double-acting hydraulic cylinders, as well as lock nut and high-tonnage cylinders

Industrial Applications of Hydraulic Cylinders

Hydraulic cylinders are ideal for generating directional force for countless industrial applications. At Metro Hydraulic, the hydraulic cylinders we offer are most often used in construction equipment, manufacturing settings, and other heavy-duty applications where extremely heavy loads must be lifted or pushed.

Some of the industries which most commonly use hydraulic cylinders are:

Aerospace. Hydraulic cylinders provide power for landing gears and wing flaps. Both light and heavy aircraft used hydraulic systems to extend and retract these parts smoothly in spite of air resistance and pressure.
Agriculture. Harvesters, loaders, tractors, and other agricultural machinery use hydraulic cylinders to lift and lower heavy loads. Hydraulic systems are also used to facilitate consistent liquid flow and chemical application in spraying equipment.
Automotive. Car manufacturing plants use heavy-duty hydraulic systems to lift heavy parts into position for assembly. They are also used in conveyors and other material handling systems.
Construction. In the construction industry, hydraulics enable the flow of viscous liquids for consistent fluid output and fine-tuned control. Hydraulic cylinders find use in equipment such as bulldozers, dump trucks, excavators, and forklifts.
General manufacturing and industry. Hydraulic presses, conveyance equipment, and lifts all use hydraulic cylinders to power their motion. As industrial hydraulic cylinders often demonstrate superior durability, they reduce the risk of unscheduled downtime.
Material handling and lifting. Platforms and lifts use hydraulic systems as stable sources of lifting power that won’t fail and which provide fine-tuned control over lowering and lifting operations.
Oil and gas. One of the biggest uses of hydraulic cylinders in the oil and gas industry is in drill rigs. These machines use hydraulics to stay in place. For example, jack-up rigs use hydraulics to remain anchored below sea level. Floating drill vessels used in deeper waters have motion compensator systems that use hydraulics to counter the motion caused by waves.
Waste management and recycling. These industries use hydraulic systems to lift large containers of collected waste items. Hydraulics also provide the force for compressing scrap metal and rubbish into dense blocks of material, both at landfill stations and in garbage trucks.

Types of Hydraulic Cylinders

Hydraulic cylinders are available in a wide range of designs, configurations, and sizes to suit varying industrial applications. Despite this design and construction flexibility, virtually every hydraulic cylinder employs the same basic principles. The main construction of a hydraulic cylinder includes a barrel, a piston with sliding rings and seals, and a piston rod. Differences in the construction are present in single-acting, double-acting, single-rod, and double-rod variations.

At Metro Hydraulic, we provide a broad selection of hydraulic cylinders so our customers can find one that meets their exact needs. Depending on the specifications of the application, one type of hydraulic cylinder may be better suited than all of the rest. The types available include:

Single-Acting Cylinders

Single-acting cylinders function with one side of the piston being acted on by hydraulic or other pressurized fluid, while the fluid alternates action on both sides of the piston in a double-acting cylinder.

Double-Acting Cylinders

If the cylinder is double-acting with a double-rod design, the piston’s head is equally covered by a rod on each side with no force difference. This design requires less operator force to produce a push or a lift than a cylinder with a double-acting, single-rod design.

Spring-Return Cylinders

Spring-return cylinders—also referred to as load-return cylinders—employ springs to facilitate extension or retraction and ensure they return to their normal position. This mechanism provides a failsafe in the event that hydraulic power is lost and ensures a clean start at the beginning of every cycle. The springs can be installed within the cylinder chamber, attached outside the cylinder body, or linked to the cylinder.

Tie-Rod Cylinders

These hydraulic cylinders feature threaded steel rods that fasten the end caps of the cylinder barrels in place. Integrating multiple steel rods provides an even stronger hold. If maintenance and repair are required, the ties can be easily removed and replaced.

Lock Nut Cylinders

Mechanical lock nuts are additional features that allow hydraulic cylinders to hold loads for long periods without fluctuation or power loss. Lock nuts are mechanical parts that don’t require additional energy output.

High-Tonnage Cylinders

These hydraulic cylinders are designed for lifting and lowering greater loads. They typically feature mechanisms that protect the hydraulic system from failure, such as lock nuts or stop rings.

Hollow Cylinders

Hollow plunger cylinders are suitable for testing and tensioning applications due to their versatility and lighter weight. They exhibit smooth push/pull force generation and durability.

Our Hydraulic Cylinder Selection

At Metro Hydraulic, we understand the importance of being able to trust in your equipment, so we source our hydraulic equipment and parts—including our hydraulic cylinders—from reputable manufacturers. Our manufacturing partners for our hydraulic cylinder offerings are:

Enerpac

As a global market leader, Enerpac manufactures hydraulic tools that are trusted to handle the heaviest loads safely and precisely. Doing business since 1910, Enerpac hydraulic cylinder products provide long-lasting value and dependability.

Access their quality products—such as their RC-Series single-acting cylinders, CLSG-Series high-tonnage cylinders, and more—through our extensive online catalog.

SPX Power Team

SPX Power Team maintains quality in all stages of production, from design to manufacturing to service. Their commitment to innovation ensures their cylinders meet even the most demanding needs. Industries like automotive, industrial, mining, and construction turn to Power Team hydraulic cylinder products for their durability.

We make finding SPX products easy—find everything from cylinders and jacks to pumps and valves in our catalog.

Simplex

Customers get more than 100 years of experience behind every Simplex hydraulic cylinder product. Their cylinders offer customers confidence in their high-pressure hydraulic applications.

At Metro Hydraulic, we offer an expansive selection of Simplex tools. Check out our online inventory or contact one of our sales representatives today!

Hercules

Hercules has provided quality cylinders for over 50 years. Every cylinder is designed with longevity in mind and comes with a guaranteed satisfaction seal.

Our Hercules hydraulic cylinder selection offers something for everyone—from single-acting and double-acting cylinders to their heavy-duty Series 3300 power units. Browse our online catalog for the perfect product today!

Milwaukee

Milwaukee’s products provide integrated solutions for design and manufacturing. Their extensive product line offers customers the highest levels of performance and reliability.

We carry a wide range of Milwaukee hydraulic cylinders to fit all your needs—from light-duty, low-pressure models to heavy-duty applications. Choose from our online catalog for the perfect cylinder today!

Cunningham

Cunningham is a leading manufacturer of custom-designed, high-quality cylinders. Their products are known for their dependability and durability in the toughest conditions.

Find Cunningham hydraulic cylinders from our online catalog—and if you’re looking for something specific, just ask! We can find it for you or customize any cylinder to your exact needs.