What are cylinders and pneumatic actuators?
Cylinders and pneumatic actuators play an important role in the industrial field.
Cylinders
The cylinder is a cylindrical metal part that guides a piston to perform linear reciprocating motion. It is mainly composed of a cylinder barrel, a piston, a piston rod and a seal. It drives the piston to move by the entry of compressed air, converting air pressure energy into mechanical energy. It can be divided into different types such as single-acting cylinder and double-acting cylinder.
Pneumatic actuators
Pneumatic actuator is a device that uses compressed air as a power source to convert air pressure energy into mechanical energy. Which is usually composed of a cylinder, a transmission mechanism, and control elements. When compressed air enters the cylinder of the pneumatic actuator, it pushes the moving parts, and drives the controlled objects such as valves and dampers to move through the transmission mechanism. It has fast action, high reliability, and large output force, but the control accuracy is slightly lower than that of electric actuators.
Materials and design considerations for pneumatic actuator cylinder:
The material selection of pneumatic actuator cylinder has a significant impact on their performance. The following is the impact of two common materials, aluminum alloy and stainless steel, on the performance of pneumatic actuator cylinder.
1. The influence of aluminum alloy materials on the performance of pneumatic actuator cylinder.
• Light weight: Aluminum alloy has a lower density, which makes the cylinder lighter overall, easier to install and move, and is particularly suitable for situations where lightweight design is required.
• Good thermal conductivity: Aluminum alloy has excellent thermal conductivity, which helps the cylinder to quickly dissipate heat during high-frequency operation, maintain a stable operating temperature, and improve the reliability and service life of the cylinder.
• Strong corrosion resistance: Although aluminum alloy itself is not as corrosion-resistant as stainless steel, ts corrosion resistance can be significantly improved through surface treatment (such as anodizing) to meet the use requirements of general industrial environments.
• Good processing performance: Aluminum alloy is easy to process into various shapes and sizes, which facilitates the complex structural design of the cylinder while reducing costs.
• Strength and load capacity: Aluminum alloy has relatively low strength and is not suitable for withstanding excessive pressure and heavy loads. Therefore, aluminum alloy cylinders are more suitable for light load, high speed, and high precision applications.
2. The influence of stainless steel materials on the performance of pneumatic actuator cylinder.
• High strength and corrosion resistance: Stainless steel has high strength and excellent corrosion resistance, can withstand high pressure and heavy load, while resisting the erosion of various corrosive environments, ensuring the stable operation of the cylinder under harsh conditions.
• Good sealing performance: The stainless steel cylinder has excellent sealing performance, which can effectively prevent gas leakage and improve the working efficiency and safety of the cylinder.
• High temperature resistance: Stainless steel cylinders can maintain stable performance even in high temperature environments without deformation or failure, making them suitable for situations where high temperature work is required.
• Weight and cost: Stainless steel cylinders are relatively heavy and have high processing costs. However, in applications that require high reliability, long life, and harsh environments, stainless steel cylinders are still very cost-effective.
How to choose a pneumatic actuator cylinder and what types are there?
Choosing a pneumatic actuator cylinder requires comprehensive consideration of many factors. The following are some common types and key factors for selection.
1. Pneumatic actuator cylinder type
Single-acting cylinder:
• Features: Rely on compressed air to achieve movement in one direction, and rely on external forces such as springs to achieve reverse movement.
• Application scenarios: Suitable for some occasions where the return force requirements are not high and the movements are relatively simple, such as one-way pushing devices.
Double-acting cylinder:
• Features: Piston motion is driven in both directions by compressed air.
• Application scenarios: Widely used in various industrial automation situations that require reciprocating motion.
Diaphragm cylinder:
• Features: Uses the deformation of the diaphragm to generate power, with a simple structure and small size.
• Application scenarios: Suitable for occasions with strict space requirements and small output force.
2. Keyword factors for selecting pneumatic actuator cylinder
- Working pressure: Select a cylinder that can withstand the corresponding pressure based on the working pressure of the system in actual application to ensure safe and stable operation.
- Output force requirement: clarify the required thrust or pull force to select the cylinder model with appropriate output force.
- Movement speed: Considering the movement speed required during the working process, the speed characteristics of different cylinder types are different.
- Working environment: If working in harsh environment, such as high temperature, high humidity, corrosiveness, etc., it is necessary to select cylinder materials and seals with corresponding protective performance.
- Installation space: Select a cylinder of appropriate size and installation method based on the space size and limitations of the installation location.
- Accuracy requirements: For situations where high motion accuracy is required, choose a cylinder with good guiding and positioning functions.
- Cost budget: Under the premise of meeting performance requirements, consider the price of the cylinder and subsequent maintenance costs.
Customized solutions for pneumatic actuator cylinder:
To meet users’ specific industrial automation needs, we provide comprehensive pneumatic actuator cylinder size and function customization services. Based on factors such as customer load requirements, space restrictions, speed requirements and working environment, we carefully design the pneumatic actuator cylinder size and integrate the required functions.
1. Pneumatic actuator cylinder size customization:
• Cylinder diameter: Customized according to the load size to ensure sufficient thrust and pull.
• Stroke: Precisely set according to the piston movement requirements, leaving appropriate margin.
• Pipe diameter and bore: Match flow and air pressure requirements to optimize gas flow efficiency.
2. Recommended size of pneumatic actuator cylinder for different occasions:
• Small automation: Use micro cylinders with a diameter of less than 20mm, which are suitable for compact spaces.
• Standard application: Medium bore (20-100mm) and standard stroke, suitable for most automation equipment.
• Heavy duty industry: Large cylinder bore (>100mm) and long stroke to meet the needs of high load and long distance movement.
3. Functional customization of pneumatic actuator cylinder:
• Type selection: Such as buffer cylinder, thin cylinder, guide rod cylinder, etc., customized according to specific needs.
• Installation forms: Fixed, rotary, pin-type, etc., flexibly adaptable to various installation environments.
• Additional functions: Integrated magnetic switch, self-lubricating system, gas-liquid damping, etc. to improve performance and reliability.
Installation method and replacement process of pneumatic actuator cylinder.
1. Installation method of pneumatic actuator cylinder:
• Flange installation: Firm, suitable for large cylinders and places with high stability requirements.
• Tripod installation: Flexible, suitable for small and medium-sized cylinders and places with limited space.
• Earring installation: Swinging, used in places where the cylinder needs to swing.
• Threaded installation: Simple and space-saving, suitable for small cylinders and places with strict space requirements.
2. Pneumatic actuator cylinder replacement process:
• Determine the needs: When the cylinder fails, determine the replacement model and specifications according to the equipment requirements.
• Preparation: Turn off the gas source, release the pressure, prepare tools and equipment, purchase a new cylinder and inspect it.
• Disassemble the old cylinder: Use tools to disassemble according to the installation method and save the parts.
• Install the new cylinder: Install it correctly, make sure the position and angle are correct, the connection is firm, and adjust the parameters.
• Debugging test: Turn on the air source for debugging, check the movement, sealing, output force, and adjust and optimize if necessary.
How to determine whether the cylinder is damaged?
The following points can be used to judge the damage of the cylinder:
- Appearance inspection: Check the cylinder surface, connection parts and piston rod for scratches, deformation, looseness or corrosion. These abnormalities may affect the seal and performance.
- Performance test: The motion test determines whether the cylinder moves smoothly; the thrust test confirms whether the output thrust meets the standard; the speed test verifies whether the movement speed is within the normal range. These tests can reveal internal parts damage or sealing problems.
- Leakage inspection: Static and dynamic leakage inspections are carried out to find leaks in cylinders and their connecting parts and to determine the integrity of seals.
- Comparison and professional testing: Compare the performance differences of cylinders of the same model, or conduct in-depth testing and diagnosis with the help of professional maintenance personnel and advanced equipment such as endoscopes and pressure sensors.
Using the above method can effectively determine the damage of the cylinder, and take timely measures to repair or replace it to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.
What are the pneumatic actuator cylinder recommended by HANUMAN?
HANUMAN recommends a variety of pneumatic actuator cylinder for you to choose from.
Slide table cylinders combine linear motion and guiding functions, with high precision, strong load-bearing capacity, and easy installation. They are suitable for occasions such as electronic manufacturing and automobile assembly that require high-precision linear displacement and can push heavier workpieces. The main products include MXF series low profile slide table cylinders, MXH series compact slide table cylinders, MXJ series air slide table cylinders, etc.
Mini cylinders are small in size, light in weight, and flexible in motion. They are suitable for small automation equipment and laboratory equipment to achieve small-scale motion control. HAMUMAN’s current mini cylinders are divided into stainless steel (such as C85 series, CJ2 series, etc.) and aluminum alloy (such as CG1 series, MAL series, etc.) materials.
Guide cylinder: Guide cylinder has a guide device, which is high precision, strong in lateral force resistance and reliable. It is used for CNC machine tool tool feed positioning and automatic production line precise motion control. HANUMAN mainly recommends dual-rod cylinders such as TN series and TR series in slide cylinders.
HANUMAN can provide much more pneumatic actuators and cylinders than these. If you have any questions, please consult us and our professional technicians will answer your questions.
