Basic Schematic Symbols Chart

(Hydraulic and Pneumatic circuit design

Connecting Pressure Lines (usually representing plastic tubing for pneumatic [air] lines
Lines with low pressures, metal piping for hydraulic [fluid] lines with high pressure)

-continuous line (for) flow line

-dashed line (for) pilot, drain

-envelope (for) long and short dashes around two or more component symbols.
Circular
-large circle - pump, motor

-small circle - Measuring devices

-semi-circle - rotary actuator

Square
-one square - pressure control function
-two or three adjacent squares - directional control
Diamond
-diamond - Fluid conditioner (filter, separator, lubricator, heat exchanger)

Miscellaneous Symbols
-Spring
-Flow Restriction
Triangle
-solid - Direction of Hydraulic Fluid Flow
-open - Direction of Pneumatic flow

(turn rotary torque from an AC or DC electric motor into

Pumps and Compressors pressure in a hydraulic or pneumatic system)
 Fixed Displacement hydraulic pump symbols
-unidirectional

-bidirectional
Variable displacement hydraulic pump symbols
-unidirectional

-bidirectional
Compressor symbol

Motors
Fixed displacement hydraulic motor symbol
-unidirectional

-bidirectional
Variable displacement hydraulic motor symbol
-unidirectional

-bidirectional
Pneumatic motor symbol
-unidirectional

-bidirectional

Rotary Actuator symbol

- hydraulic
- pneumatic

Cylinders
Single acting cylinder symbols
-returned by external force
 -returned by spring or extended by spring force

Double acting cylinder symbols

-single piston rod (fluid required to extend and retract)

-double ended piston rod

Cylinders with cushions symbols

- single fixed cushion

- double fixed cushion

- single adjustable cushion

- double adjustable cushion

Directional Control Valve symbols

Directional control valve (2 ports / 2 positions)
-Normally closed directional control valve with 2 ports and 2 finite positions.

-Normally open directional control valve with 2 ports and 2 finite positions.

Directional control valve (3 ports / 2 positions)

-Normally closed directional control valve with 3 ports and 2 finite positions.

-Normally open directional control valve with 3 ports and 2 finite positions.

Directional control valve (4 ports / 2 positions)

-directional control valve with 4 ports and 2 finite positions

Directional control valve (4 ports / 3 positions)

-directional control valve with 4 ports and 3 finite positions
*-(center position can have various flow paths)
Directional control valve (5 ports / 2 positions) Normally a pneumatic valve
-directional control valve with 5 ports and 2 finite positions

Directional control valve (5 ports / 3 positions) Normally a pneumatic valve

 -directional control valve with 5 ports and 3 finite positions

Proportional directional control valve

Electro-hydraulic servo valve

-The spool positions on these valves is variable allowing for variable flow conditions.
-single-stage direct operation unit which accepts an analog signal and provides a similar analog
fluid power output

-two-stage with mechanical feedback indirect pilot operation unit which accepts an analog signal
and provides a similar analog fluid power output

Control Method
Operator symbols for valves
Manual Control
-general symbol of a valve's manual operator (without showing the control type)
-pushbutton

-lever

-foot pedal
Mechanical Valve Control
-plunger or tracer
-spring (used on one side of a valve to hold it in the normally open or normally closed
state)
-roller

-roller (one direction only)

Electrical/Solenoid Valve Control

-Solenoid (the one side's winding shown)

Pilot Operation
(uses pressure to actuate valve)
-pneumatic actuated pilot

-hydraulic actuated pilot

 Pilot operated two-stage valve
(uses a second lesser force to actuate the pilot actuation of the valve)
-Pneumatic: Solenoid first stage

-Pneumatic: Air pilot second stage

-Hydraulic: Solenoid first stage

-Hydraulic: Hydaulic pilot second stage

Check valves, Shuttle valves, Rapid Exhaust valves

-check valve symbol-free flow one direction, blocked flow in other direction

-pilot operated check valve symbol, pilot to close

-pilot operated check valve symbol, pilot to open

Shuttle valve
-to isolate one part of a system from an alternate part of circuit.

Rapid exhaust valve/Pneumatic

-installed close to an actuator for rapid movement of the actuator.

Pressure Control Valves

Pressure Relief Valve(safety valve) normally closed

- line pressure is limited to the setting of the valve, secondary part is directed to tank.

Proportional Pressure Relief Valve

- line pressure is limited to and proportional to an electronic signal

Sequence Valve
 - when the line pressure reaches the setting of the valve, valve opens permitting flow to the
secondary port. The pilot must be externally drained to tank.
Pressure Reducing valve (Hydraulic Pressure Regulator)

- pressure downstream of valve is limited to the setting of the valve

Flow Control Valves

Throttle valve
-adjustable output flow
Flow Control valves
-Flow control valve with fixed output (variations in inlet pressure do not affect rate of flow)
-Flow control valve with fixed output and relief port to reservoir with relief for excess flow
(variations in inlet pressure do not affect rate of flow)
-Flow control valve with variable output
-Flow control valve with fixed orifice
-Flow control valve with metered flow toward right free flow to left
-Flow control valve with pressure compensated flow control fixed output flow regardless of load
-Flow control valve with pressure and temperature compensated

-Flow control valve with variable output and relief port to reservoir

Flow dividing valve

-flow is divided equally to two outputs.

Shut-Off Valve
-Shut-Off Valve Simplified symbol

Accumulators
-Accumulator symbol (Stores Pressure)

Reservoir (Tank)
-Reservoir symbol (Holds Fluid medium of your system)
Filters, Water Traps, Lubricators and Miscellaneous Apparatus
Filter or Strainer

Water Trap
-with manual drain

-with automatic drained

Filter with water trap

-with manual drain

-automatic drain

Air Dryer
refrigerant, or chemical removal of water from compressed air line

Lubricator
-oil vapor is injected into air line

Conditioning unit (FRL, Pressure Regulator)

-compound symbol of filter, regulator, lubricator unit(FRL symbol)

-Simplified Symbol

Heat Exchangers
-air or water cooled unit designed to remove heat from oil returning to reservoir
How to read hydraulic circuits

How to read hydraulic circuits

Hydraulics symbols are an essential component of hydraulic circuit diagrams. Knowing some of the basic principles will
help understand a wider range of symbols. Explaining the common ISO1219 symbols enables a complete hydraulic
system to be followed:
1. Hydraulic Pump
Hydraulic pump produces flow. Oil is pumped from the hydraulic reservoir into the system. The basic symbol for a pump:

A fixed displacement pump is the simplest type and has a fixed output for each revolution of the input shaft.
Modifications to this symbol describe the variable displacement pump. The types of control circuits show how the output
is varied.
2. Filter

Filters clean oil entering the system, and are used in various places within a system. They protect hydraulic valves and
pumps. Suction filters are placed at pump inlets to ensure only clean oil enters the system. Pressure filters can be
placed throughout system. Return filters are common and filter oil returning to the reservoir.
3. Pressure Relief Valve
Pressure in a hydraulic system should be limited to control the force any motive devices produce and to ensure the
safe/design limits are not exceeded. A pressure relief valve symbol is normally shown as:

A pressure relief valve or PRV passes fluid from an area of higher pressure to a lower pressure (typically the tank).
Hydraulic pressure shown by the dotted line acts as a pilot to actuate the PRV by moving the arrow across the box. This
happens when the pilot
ilot pressure produces an internal force equal to the spring load the valve begins to open and pass
flow.

4. Check Valve
This valve is a one way valve that prevents flow in one direction. The addition of a spring ensures the valve will
only open when this pressure is exceeded. Dotted pilot lines can be added so that pilot operating pressures can be used
to open
en the valve and allow flow in the reverse direction. Commonly used to hold pressure in a hydraulic cylinder.

5. Hydraulic Reservoir (tank)

Hydraulic systems all have a means of storing hydraulic fluid. This is referred to as the hydraulic reservoir. Hydraulic
reservoirs are shown as:

Vented hydraulic reservoirs are common place, but sealed systems can be found ion aerospace and marine applications.
The return lines shown indicate the position above or below the oil level.
6. Directional Control Valve
Hydraulic fluid flow is controlled by a directional control valve. Commonly consists of four parts, valveval body, spool,
actuator, and springs. s. The spool is moved with respect to the valve body, this opens and closes internal flow galleries to
control fluid flow. Various types of actuators provide power to shift the spool and springs are normally used to return the
spool when the actuator is de-energised.
energised.
Look at the typical three position four way
ay valve:

How to read directional control valve symbols:

a. Each box in the valve symbol represents a possible valve condition. In the three position valve above there are 3
possible conditions controlled by the actuators.
b. Number of ways tells you how many hydraulic connections could be connected to the valve.
c. Actuators always push and never pull the spool.
d. The box furthest away from the actuator is the normal or de de-energized
energized position, and is the position where the circuit
connections are drawn.n. In the above valve this is the middle position.

7. Hydraulic Cylinder
Hydraulic cylinder or actuator uses hydraulic power to generate mechanical force. A hydraulic cylinder is shown as:
A double acting cylinder (above) has two ports and is therefore powered in and out. Single acting cylinders have one port
and would typically be used for lifting applications.