PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

PNEUMATIC actuators

                  There are three types of pneumatic actuators, linear cylinders, rotary actuators and special type of actuators or Handling devices. Linear cylinders are the most common type of pneumatic actuators in industry and they used for various type of applications. 

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS

                  There are two types of Linear pneumatic cylinders, single acting, double acting cylinders. Pneumatic cylinders have following characteristics.

v  Diameters                                  2.5 to 320 mm

v  Stroke lengths                           1 to 2000 mm

v  Available forces                        2 to 45000N at 6 bar

v  Piston speed                              0.1 to 1.5 m/s

In single acting cylinders, one part is spring loaded. The pneumatic power is applied against the

spring load, if pneumatic power is released the spring brings the piston back to original position.

These types of cylinders are used in cases where either forward or backward stroke should be

powerful and other stroke should not contain any restriction power. This type of cylinders contains

only small stroke lengths. 

Double acting cylinders are used where need high power for both strokes and in cases where

stroke length is much higher, (i.e. this type supports stroke lengths up to 2m). In most of the

industrial automation systems double acting cylinders are used, there should be two ports for

pneumatic lines. When one becomes the inlet port, other becomes the exhaust port and vice versa,

so control valves with five ports have to use with this type. 

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS working theory

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS working theory

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS WORKING THEORY

PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS WORKING THEORY

pneumatic rotors 

            Rotary actuators are used where rotary movement is needed. There are two types, of Rotary Actuators. Items that can rotate unlimited angle and items that have restricted angle of rotation. The previous type is commonly used as air motors used in screwing machines, dental equipments etc. and the second one is used in robot arms, rotary platforms etc. The main advantage on air motors on electrical motors is the capability of handling extremely heavy torques compared with the size of the actuator. In these type of drives also can be formed as categories depending on the way that it works, i.e. double acting, single acting, spring-loaded, etc.

            Some of these rotary actuators have built-in sensors that give the angle of rotation of the rotor. In these types air-motor type devices has unlimited angle of rotation where as semi-rotary devices have limited angle of rotation such as 60, 90, 180 etc. degrees. 

ROTARY ACTUATORS

ROTARY ACTUATORS

pneumatic grippers

            This kind of devices is called special type of actuators and Handling Devices. This special types of actuators that used in automation industry for many applications. Most of this device is pick and place mechanisms, robot devices, posting devices etc. The main type used in that kind of applications are grippers, which can be categorized into types as depending on how they grip and the orientation of arms, such as parallel grippers, angle grippers, three –point gripper etc.

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air service valve         

            For the compressed air preparation, air service units are used. Air service unit is a single unit with a combination of filter, regulator, and lubricator. Service units are connected upstream of all pneumatic systems.