A pneumatic cylinder is a type of appliance that makes the use of power that is generated from compacted gas in order to form a force in interchanging linear motion. A pneumatic cylinder may also be referred to as an air cylinder, as the term pneuma, means air. Very similar to hydraulic cylinders, a force is applied into the piston, which pushes it to the desired direction. The piston that is part of a pneumatic cylinder is a disc or a cylinder. The force that is created is transported by the piston rod to the object that requires moving. A minority of engineers prefer this device due to its cleanness, quietness, and minimum space for storing fluids.
Purpose and Type
The shape, material, and size of the cylinders depend on the purpose one is using them. The different materials that are used for pneumatic cylinders include stainless steel, steel, nickel-plated brass, and aluminum. The way the materials are chose for the devices involve considering several factors such as amount of loads, specific stroke length, temperature, and humidity. The devices also come in a wide range of body constructions, which include:
- Flanged- type cylinders – the ends of these cylinders feature fixed flanges.
- Tie rod cylinders – these are the most common type of cylinder structure and find their use in a huge variety of loads. These are also proven the safest form to work with.
- Threaded end cylinders – in these, the ends tend to attached to the tube body.
- One-piece welded cylinders – the ends of these cylinders are welded or crimped to the tube.
A Further Look into the Types
The three pneumatic cylinders we discuss below are:
- Single-acting cylinders
- Double-acting cylinders
- Telescoping cylinders
Single-acting cylinders (SAC) use pressure that forms from compacted air. In majority of cases, the extension SAC cylinders have is very limited due to the amount of space the compacted spring takes.
Double-acting cylinders (DAC) use air pressure in order to retract strokes and move in range. Two parts make up this cylinder, both of which let the air in. One is for outstroke and the other, in-stroke.
Telescoping cylinders, also known as telescopic cylinders come in single-acting and double-acting modes. Their designs allow for much longer strokes and tend to be reserved for uses where the piston has to face minimal side loading.