Actuators enable mechanical movement in many industrial applications. In discrete and hybrid manufacturing applications, pneumatic cylinders are commonly used. A JHFoster.com article, What Are Pneumatic Actuators Used For? Types, Applications & Uses, highlights several of these applications.
The article opens noting that these pneumatic actuators:
…are also cleaner and safer than other solutions, which make them ideal for manufacturing, packaging, palletizing, material handling, food and beverage and many more applications.
These devices:
…use compressed air to power motion. That motion can be along a rotational or linear path, ultimately assisting or performing a task such as pushing, pulling, gripping, turning, feeding, ejecting, opening, closing, holding, stopping, clamping, stamping and, as you can guess, the list goes on.
Size wise, these devices:
…range from extremely compact actuators used for small handling applications to large actuators for the most powerful jobs as well as rodless designs that provide stroke lengths like conventional cylinders in a much smaller footprint. Each actuator type and its variations offer a unique set of characteristics and advantages based on the applications it serves.
The article explores common types of pneumatic actuators including:
- Profile and tie-rod cylinders
- Mini and round body cylinders
- Short stroke and compact cylinders
- Rodless cylinders
- Bellows
- Knife gate cylinders
- Rack-and-pinion rotary actuators
- Screw-in cylinders
- Flexible diaphragm cylinders
I’ll share one example, the profile and tie-rod cylinders. These:
…provide precision and regulated force even in applications with high force requirements and long stroke lengths. Sturdy, reliable and highly configurable, they are frequently used in general automation applications, and, they come in numerous designs to meet a wide range of applications, needs and budgets.
AVENTICs profile and tie-rod cylinder models include Series PRA (profile) and TRB (tie rod) ISO 15552 Pneumatic Cylinders, Series TM5 TaskMaster, Series A and PPT NFPA Pneumatic Cylinders
Read the article for more on each of these types of actuators and their use in common applications. Emerson’s AVENTICS CylinderFinder online engineering tool can help you with the selection of the right pneumatic actuator for your application.
Visit the Pneumatic Cylinders & Actuators section on Emerson.com for more on the technologies and solutions for precise, automated applications.
