carlos gonzalez | Technology Editor

What’s the Difference

Between Hydraulic Circuit
Symbols?
Hydraulic symbols are commonly used to depict hydraulic circuits. Let’s review some
common symbols you may come across.

H
ydraulic circuits are comprised of cylinders, valves, pumps, and are
connected via hydraulic pipes and tubes. The complexity of these
components are difficult to represent fully so hydraulic symbol
circuits are used instead. Hydraulic symbols provide a clear rep-
resentation of each hydraulic component functions. Many hydraulic symbol
designs are based industry standards such as DIN24300, ISO1219-1 or -2,
ANSI Y32.10 or the ISO5599. While ideally, all hydraulic circuits would
use universal symbol notations, one will find differences in hydraulic cir-

The hydraulic drawing above shows how hydraulic symbols are used to represent complex systems. (Image courtesy of Festo and Eplan)

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 A B

B B
X P T Y
A A
Directional Valves

Ball Valves and Isolators

B B cuit drawings based on the company
a. b. c. d.
A A and/or vendor. This is due to each
Logic Operators one wanting their drawings to stand
e. f. g. apart from other drawings found in
Valve Activation Types the industry.
a. Electrical Solenoid The symbols that represent hy-
b. Spring draulic components typically display
c. Electrical with a Hydraulic Flow Lines
Hydraulic Pilot the following characteristics: func-
d. Hand Emergency tion, actuation and return actuation
e. Proportional Solenoid Pilot Operated Check Valves
methods, number of connections and
f. Manual Lever
g. Foot Operation switching positions, general opera-
Check Valve tion principle, and simplified repre-
sentation of the hydraulic flow path.
Shuttle Valve
Characteristics that are not included
in order to simplify the circuit are the
size or dimensions of the component,
Accumulators Hydraulic Filter Water Coolers manufacturer of the parts, operation
of the ports, physical details of the
The image above highlights some of the most common symbols used for hydraulic circuits. elements, and any unions or con-
nections other than junctions. The
ENERGY SUPPLY purpose of this refresher is to help
Symbol Designation Explanation identify some of the universally ac-
cepted basic symbols that you can use
to create your own drawings and read
One direction of rotation only with constant
Air compressor drawings from other sources.
displacement volume

Hydraulic Pipes
Hydraulic flow lines are depicted as
Air receiver
Compressed air from the compressor is stored single straight lines for both pressure
and diverted to the system when required
and return lines. Pilot flow lines are
drawn as dashed or dotted lines. They
only transmit pressure feed or small
pilot flows. Manifold and assem-
Hydraulic Pump One direction and two direction of rotation
(constant) with constant displacement volume bly boundaries are alternating dash
lines. These are used for identifying
the physical limit of group valves or
equipment. Hose lines are drawn as
an arc with a dot at each end to in-
Hydraulic Pump One direction and two direction of rotation
(variable) with variable displacement dicate their connection points. A dot
is also used to show where crossing
lines have a physical intersecting
connection with each other. If lines
cross with no dot, they do not con-
nect. Lastly, a reservoir or an open

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 ROTARY ACTUATORS
Symbol Designation Explanation

Pneumatic Actuator One direction and two direction of rotation

(constant) with constant displacement volume
atmospheric point is shown as a cup
symbol.

Pneumatic Actuator One direction and two direction of rotation Ball Valves and Isolators
(variable) with variable displacement Double triangles are used to indi-
cate ball valves and isolator valves.
When the triangles are drawn in
black the valve is normally closed
Hydraulic Motor One direction and two direction of rotation and a clear triangle indicates the
(constant) with constant displacement volume
valve is open. The circular symbol
with a two lines at a 90 degree angle
is a 3-way ball valve. The symbol
shows three port connections and
Hydraulic Motor One direction and two direction of rotation
(variable) with variable displacement
the two lines connected are shown in
the normal position. Different con-
nection layouts can be shown in the
middle of the circle to indicate layout
and connection variations.
SERVICE UNITS
Symbol Designation Explanation Shuttle Valve
Load sensing systems commonly
This device is a combination of filter use shuttle valves. Their design en-
Air filter
and water separator sures that the highest pressure is al-
ways fed to the top connection. In the
symbol, there is ball valve and when
Dryer For drying the air it encounters two different pressures,
the ball will move either way to let
the maximum pressure flow towards
For lubrication of connected devices,
the top connection.
Lubricator small amount of oil is added to the air
flowing through this device Check Valves and Shut Off
Valves
Check valves allow flow in only
one direction. The symbol example
Regulator To regulate the air pressure
here shows that flow goes from the
top to the bottom only when the
pressure is higher than the rating of
the spring. A common good practice
Combined filter, regulator
FRL unit
and lubricator system is to write the spring pressure next to
the check valve.

Pilot Operated Check Valves

2 In the symbol example here, the
dashed line is used to indicate the pi-

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 DIRECTION CONTROL VALVES (DCVs)
Symbol Designation Explanation

Two closed ports in the closed neutral

2/2 way valve
position and flow during actuated position
lot line. The pilot line is used to open
3
the check valve and let the flow back
2 through the valve. The bottom sym-
In the first position flow takes place
3/2 way valve
to the cylinder. In the second position bol in the image above is a common
flow takes out of the cylinder to the exhaust format for a double pilot operated
(Single acting cylinder)
1 3 check sandwich plate valve. They are
4 2 often used under CETOP directional
valves. When pressure is applied to
For double acting cylinder
4/2 way valve one side, the free flow is allowed in
all the ports are open
both directions. But when the direc-
1 3
tional valve is closed and there is no
4 2
pressure applied to the valve, both
4/3 way valve
Two open positions and one closed check valves are closed and hold the
neutral position
load in place.
1 3
4 2 Directional Valves
Per ISO5599, ports on valves are
5/2 way valve Two open positions with two exhaust ports marked based on a letter or number
5 1 3
system. Here is common list of ports
and their designed markers.
For a 4/2 way position valve, there
NON RETURN VALVES are four pipe connections: pressure
Symbol Designation
port, return port, port A and port B.
The “2 position” in the 4/2 way po-
Check valve sition valve means that the valve has
Allows flow in one direction two switched positions meaning that
and blocks flow in other direction it can sit in either the A or B position.
Spring loaded check
valve For a 4/3 way position valve, there are
four pipe connections but has three
different possible switched positions.
When any one of the input is given
Shuttle/ OR valve
the output is produced
Valve Activation Types
There are multiple ways to activate
Only when both the inputs are given output a hydraulic valve. The symbols above
AND valve
is produced are the different ways a valve can be
activated: electrical solenoid, spring,
electrical with a hydraulic pilot, hand
For quick exhaust of air to cause emergency, proportional solenoid,
Quick exhaust valve
rapid extension/ retraction of cylinder manual lever, and a foot operation.
The above image is an example of
a pilot operated directional valve.
This is a large high flow hydraulically
operated bottom valve. It has a small
electrically operated pilot valve. The

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 Port Letter system Number system
Pressure port P 1
Working port A 4
Working port B 2
Exhaust port R 5
Exhaust port S 3
Pilot port Z 14
Pilot port Y 12

DIRECTION CONTROL VALVE ACTUATION METHODS solenoid valves show the hydraulic
pilot, the external pilot pressure (X),
Symbol Designation Explanation
and the external pilot pressure drain
General manual
(Y). The symbol indicates the open
actuation center pressure (P) to return (T)
spool valve.
Push button
actuation Hydraulic Filters, Water
Manual operation of DCV Coolers, and Accumulators

Lever actuation
The hydraulic filter above shows
that the flow will come from the top
due to the bypass check valve shown
Detent lever on the side. The check valve protects
actuation the circuit from over-pressurization if
the filter becomes clog. The hydraulic
Foot pedal water cooler intersects the hydraulic
actuation
pipe above. The water flow paths are
not depicted in the symbol but can be
Roller lever included.
actuation
The accumulator images in the im-
Mechanical actuation of DCV age above indicate different stages.
Idle return roller The first is a gas-pressurized accu-
actuation
mulator and a diaphragm to separate
the media. The second is a gas-pres-
Spring surized accumulator with a bladder
actuation
to separate the media. The third is a
gas-pressurized accumulator with a
Direct pneumatic piston. Lastly, the fourth accumula-
Pneumatic actuation of DCV
actuation
tor is a backup bottle.

Logic Operators
FLOW CONTROL VALVES Logic valves are available in sever-
Symbol Designation Explanation
al different options. The image above
highlights four common cases. The
symbols above are all of a directional
Flow control valve To allow controlled flow
control cartridge poppet valve. The
top left image has a 1:1 ratio. This
Flow control valve is indicated by the straight nature
To allow controlled flow in one direction
with one way of the spool/poppet body. The top
and free flow in other
adjustment
right symbol has an area ratio equal
or less than 0.7. The bottom left has
an area ratio of greater than 0.7. The

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 PRESSURE CONTROL VALVES
Symbol Designation Explanation

Pressure relieving
valve
2
Non relieving type
1 3
Relieving type with
overload being
vented out
2

Pressure reducing Maintains the reduced pressure

valve at specified location in hydraulic system

Allows pump to build pressure to

Unloading valve an adjustable pressure setting and then
allow it to be discharged to tank

Controls the movement of vertical

Counter balance
hydraulic cylinder and prevents its
valve
descent due to external load weight

bottom right has an area ratio equal or less than 0.7 with a
damped/throttle nose.

Energy Supply, Service Units, Control Valves,

and Actuators
The remaining symbols below are common depic-
tions of energy supply (i.e. pumps, compressors, and air
receivers), service units (i.e. dryers, regulators, lubrica-
tors), control valves (i.e. flow and pressure), and actuators
(i.e. single acting and double acting). These components
are the driving force for hydraulic circuits. They regulate
pressure, control flow, and also the direction of the hy-
draulic flow.

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