Getting Started with Pneumatics

In which industries is pneumatic technology used?

Automobile manufacturing industry, electronic semiconductor manufacturing industry, machine tool industry, food and beverage industry, life science field, realization of production automation, realization of packaging automation.

A simple and complete set of pneumatic equipment includes:

1. Compressed air source: provide the energy required by the pneumatic system;

2. Gas source processing components: process the gas source to ensure the stability and operating life of the gas circuit;

3. Pneumatic valve: control the on-off and direction of the air circuit;

4. Cylinder: convert pneumatic energy into mechanical energy, push or pull objects to work;

5. Air pipe and joint: used to connect air source processing components, pneumatic valves, cylinders and other devices to form a complete air circuit system;

When to Choose Pneumatics?

When realizing the automation and labor saving of production equipment and production lines, there are many schemes to achieve the target effect, and a suitable method or a proper combination of several methods should be selected to make the equipment more reliable, more economical, safer and simpler.

TableComparison of various transmission and control methods

Main way	Pneumatic	Mechanical	Electrical way	Electronically	Hydraulic method
Driving force	Slightly larger(up to several cards KN)	Not so big	Not so big	Small	Large(up to hundreds of kN or more)
Drive speed	Big	Small	Big	Big	Small
Responding speed	Slightly larger	Middle	Big	Big	Big
Characteristics are affected by load	Big	Almost none	Almost none	Almost none	Smaller
Structure	Simple	Usually	Sightly complicated	Complex	Slightly complicated
Wiring, piping	Slightly complicated	None	Simpler	Complex	Complex
Temperature effect	Less than100C ordinary	Usually	Big	Big	Less than70C normal
Moisture resistance	Take care to drain the condensate	Usually	Difference	Difference	Usually
Corrosion resistance	Usually	Usually	Difference	Difference	Usually
Anti-vibration	Usually	Usually	Difference	Extraordinary	Usually
Positioning accuracy	Slightly bad	Good	Good	Good	Slightly better
Maintain	Simple	Simple	Have technical requirements	High technical requirements	Simple
Dangerous	Almost no problem	No particular problem	Pay attention to leakage	No particular problem	Pay attention to fire prevention
Signal conversion	More difficult	Disaster	Easy	Easy	Disaster
Remote operation	Good	Disaster	Very good	Very good	Better
When the power source fails	Have a certain ability to cope	No action	No action	No action	If there is an accumulator, it can cope in a short time
Installation freedom	Have	Small	Have	Have	Have
Overload capacity	Good	More difficult	No	No	Passable
CVT	Slightly better	Slightly difficult	Slightly difficult	Good	Good
Speed adjustment	Slightly difficult	Slightly difficult	Easy	Easy	Easy
Price	Usually	Usually	Slightly higher	High	Slightly higher
Remark	The driving system is composed of cylinders and so on. The control system is composed of various pneumatic control valves, etc.	The drive system composed of cams, screws, levers, connecting rods, gears, ratchets, pawls and transmission shafts is mainly powered by electric motors	The drive system is used as a power source together with other mechanical methods such as electromagnetic clutches and brakes. The control system is composed of limit switches, relays, delayers, etc.	Control method composed of semiconductor elements, etc.	The driving system is composed of hydraulic cylinders and so on. The control system is composed of various hydraulic control valves, etc.

Getting Started with Pneumatic Valves