My car manual shows torque specs in kgf·cm, but my torque wrench reads in lbf·in. How do I convert?

1 kgf·cm × 2.2046 = 2.2046 lbf·cm; and 1 cm = 0.3937 in, so 1 kgf·cm = 2.2046 × 0.3937 ≈ 0.8679 lbf·in. To convert 20 kgf·cm: 20 × 0.8679 = 17.4 lbf·in.

A Japanese industrial robot has an arm payload of 60 kgf. My US safety team needs this in lbf. What's the number?

60 × 2.2046 = 132.3 lbf. Present it as '132 lbf payload' when communicating with the US safety team.

A hydraulic system is rated 500 kgf. Is that force or pressure?

That's force (a load rating), not pressure. 500 kgf ≈ 1,102 lbf. Pressure would be kgf/cm² or psi. Check the spec's context — a cylinder force rating and a system pressure rating look similar but mean different things.

Why do European and Asian manufacturers use kgf instead of newtons or lbf?

Historically, kgf was intuitive — 1 kgf is the force of 1 kg under gravity, easy to visualize. European standards now prefer newtons (SI), but Asian manufacturers (particularly Japanese) retained kgf in many product lines. US manufacturers use lbf. All three coexist in international supply chains.

Kilogram-Force (kgf) to Pound-Force (lbf) Converter

Enter a value to instantly convert between force units.

From

Precision4 dp

1 Kilogram-Force = 2.2046 Pound-Force

Key Formulas

Newton → Pound-Force

lbf = N × 0.224809

Pound-Force → Newton

N = lbf × 4.44822

Kilogram-Force → Newton

N = kgf × 9.80665

Newton → Kilogram-Force

kgf = N × 0.101972

Formula

lbf = kgf × 2.2046226218

Japanese and Korean machinery manuals — industrial robots, CNC machines, automotive torque specs — frequently use kgf where US equipment uses lbf. An American technician sourcing replacement springs for a Japanese press, or a quality engineer comparing a Korean car's bolt torque spec against a US fastener catalog, needs this conversion daily. The 2.2046 factor is the same as pounds per kilogram — no coincidence, since both units are gravitational force equivalents of their respective mass units.

Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.8

Last reviewed: 2026-06-11 · see our methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

The weight of a 1 kg calibration mass expressed in imperial force — 2.205 lbf, a common reference when comparing metric and imperial scale calibration records.

1 kgf = 2.205 lbf

Engine fastener torque spec from a Japanese car manual listed as 20 kgf·cm — converted to verify against a US torque wrench rated in lbf·in.

20 kgf = 44.09 lbf

Hydraulic clamp rated at 100 kgf in a Korean press specification — the lbf equivalent for selecting a compatible US replacement cylinder.

100 kgf = 220.46 lbf

100 lbf expressed in kgf — the reverse anchor when checking a US load rating against a kgf-rated machine component.

45.4 kgf = 100 lbf

newtons to lbf lbf to newtons kgf to newtons newtons to kgf kn to newtons newtons to kn

Kilogram-Force (kgf) to Pound-Force (lbf) Converter

Key Formulas

Formula

Frequently Asked Questions

Real-World Examples

Related Converters