Pneumatics has for some considerable time been used for carrying out the simplest mechanical tasks, but in more recent times has played a more important role in the development of pneumatic technology for automation.
In the majority of applications compressed air is used for one or more of the following functions:
- To determine the status of processors (sensors)
- Information processing (processors)
- Switching of actuators by means of final control elements
- Carrying out work (actuators)
To be able to control machinery and installations necessitates the construction of a generally complex logic interconnection of statuses and switching conditions. This occurs as a result of the interaction of sensors, processors, control elements and actuators in pneumatic or partly pneumatic systems.
The technological progress made in material, design and production processes has further improved the quality and diversity of pneumatic components and thereby contributed to their widely spread use in automation. The pneumatic cylinder has a significant role as a linear drive unit, due to its
- relatively low cost,
- ease of installation,
- simple and robust construction and
- ready availability in various sizes and stroke lengths.
The pneumatic cylinder has the following general characteristics:
- Diameters 2.5 to 320 mm
- Stroke lengths 1 to 2000 mm
- Available forces 2 to 45000 N at 6 bar
- Piston speed 0.1 to 1.5 m/s
Pneumatic components can perform the following types of motion:
- Linear
- Swivel
- Rotary
Some industrial applications employing pneumatics are listed below:
- General methods of material handling:
- – Clamping
- – Shifting
- – Positioning
- – Orienting
- – Branching of material flow
- General applications:
- – Packaging
- – Filling
- – Metering
- – Locking
- – Driving of axes
- – Door or chute control
- – Transfer of materials
- – Turning and inverting of parts
- – Sorting of parts
- – Stacking of components
- – Stamping and embossing of components
Pneumatics is used in carrying out machining and working operations. For example:
- Drilling
- Turning
- Milling
- Sawing
- Finishing
- Forming
- Quality control
Advantages and distinguishing characteristics of compressed air:
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