Hydraulic circuits can be comprised of an infinite combination of cylinders, motors, valves, pumps and other equipment connected via hydraulic pipes and tubes. The complexity of these components are difficult to represent fully, so a family of graphic hydraulic symbols have been developed to represent fluid power components and systems on schematic drawings.

At first glance, a schematic of a hydraulic system can appear overwhelming, but schematic drawings are actually easier than they initially appear. It’s a bit like learning a new language – although this particular language has a comparatively small vocabulary!

Hydraulic symbols are issued and controlled by The International Standards Organization (ISO), standard ISO 1219-1:2012. The symbols do not identify component size or their actual position on the machine, however the symbols do provide vital information relating to the configurations and flow path connections.

In this ebook we’ve summarised more than 140 of the most common symbols you may come across when working with hydraulic systems.