Pneumatic Actuators

9.1 INTRODUCTION
(.Pneumatic actuators are the equivalent of hydraulic actuators. Pneumatic actuators
convert the air pressure into linear or rotary motion depending upon their design.
Similar to hydraulic actuators, pneumatic cylinders are also used for gripping/moving
of objects in v~rious industrial applications)
Pneumatic actuators which are designed to produce linear motion are termed
linear air cylinders . These can be conventional rod-type cylinders or rod-less
cylinders'.Actuato~s which are designed to produce rotary motion are termed rotary
cylinders or more popularly air motors.
These actuators can be classified as light, medium ~net heavy duty type, depending
upon the load to Qe handled by them. The principle of operation of some pneumatic.
actuators is discussed in the subsequent sections. •
9·2 ~AR CYLINDERS ( c.01 °1 \,j\ J ti'J)
92 .
1
' • Classification of Air Cylinders .
genelin_ear Pneumatic cylinders, popularly known as air cylinders are used for the
appl ration of straight rectilinear motion. Thus, they are useful to move an object or
oflo~: force on an object in a straight line. Depending upon the design for movement
' these can be light, medium or heavy duty type.
230 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

Air cylinders can be classified into two basic types: single_ acting a nd d~uble-acting.
In single acting type, the cylinder extends under air pre_ssure m only one direction, anct
the cylinder retracts under spring pressure or by gravi_ty und er th e load. In a double
acting cylinder, air-pressure acts on either side of the P1ston a nd moves the cylinder in
both directions. .
Air cylinders can be further classified as rotating and non-~otating ~es. In rotating
type, the cylinder body is connected to a rotating member, w~ile the air connections to
the cylinder is done through a stationary housing. Such cylmders are used in lathes
and grinding machines. Non-rotating air cylinders are the conventional type of air
cylinders, where the cylinder body is held rigidly with a mounting, while the cylinder
rod moves only in a linear direction. Such air cylinders are widely used.
A brief classification of air or pneumatic cylinders with their schematic
representations is given below.
1. Single Acting Cylinder (Fig. 9-la): It is a cylinder in which air pressure is applied
on to the piston in only side, and the extension takes place by the air pressure in one
direction. The return stroke is mostly by gravity.
2. Spring Return Cylinder (Fig. 9-lb): It is a single acting cylinder in which movement
in one direction is under air pressure, while the return stroke is accomplished 9y a
spring.
3. Ram cylinder (Fig. 9-lc): In this the cylinder rod itself forms the movable element,
termed the ram. It is usually single acting, and return stroke is either under gravity or
assisted by return cylinders.
4. Double-acting cylinder (Fig. 9-ld): It is a cylinder in which the air pressure is
applied alternately on either side, so that both the forward and return· stroke are
controlled by the air pressure.
5. Single rod cylinder: In this, tbe piston rod extends from one side of the cylinder.
The most common single and double acting cylinders are single md type, in which
actuation is possible on a single side.
6. Double rod or through-rod cylinder (Fig. 9-le): In a double-rod or througp-rod
cylinder, the piston-rod extends/retracts on either end of the cylinder.
7. Rod-less cylinder (Fig. 9-lf):. In this, there is no rod connected to the piston.
Usually, the piston is a magnetic type, while an external follower (magnetic) follows
the piston due to magnetic coupling.
8. Diaphragm Cylinder (Fig. 9-lg): For short stroke lengths, small cylinders with 3
rubber or metal diaphragm is used instead of a piston. The main .advantage of such
cylinders is that there is no leakage between the inlet and outlet chambers; and there
is no frictional loss.
f!JD!&Mt4@@Lil 231

Spring

-
(a) Single acting (b) Spring - returned (c) Ram cyllnd&r

Air in/out Air in/out

*,
[
-
11
_ _
J'l-
_ Single-rod

. (d) Double acting (e) Double rod (Through rod)

Magnetic External

"'v"
piston /wer

I-
IL II
Air in-

Diaphragm

(f) Rod-less Cylinder (f) Diaphragm Cylinder

fig. 9-1. Types of air cylinders

9.2.2 C0
nstruction of a Linear Cylinder
Fig The construction of a linear cylinder (dm~ble-acting) is schematically illustrated in
. 9·2.
232

Compressed air Compressed air

(Retraction)
(Extension) .,
Jl .! ,!..

,....
1•··

RAM
-
: . Re;;ction ·'\,_~
Beanng -~
Fig. 9-2. Double acting air cylinder .......,

The cylinder has five basic parts: the cylinder barrel , a piston, piston rod and
two end caps. The barrel has a fine surface finish at the inner surface, where the
pistpn reciprocates. The end caps close the cylinder on either end and are provided
with the air inlet and outlet ports. The end cap at the piston-end has only the air port,
while the end cap at the rod end in addition to air port, has a provision for the rod. The
Qj§.!Qn...aod piston rod are held rigidly through a suit~~leJ.astening arrangement. The
joints between end caps and cylinders, piston-cylinder, and end cap and rocl'fui provided
with suitable seals to avoid leakage.
(the inner surface of the barrel is machined to a· high accuracy and finish for leak-
proof and smooth operation. Usually, a drawn....s.eamless steel tube, machined and
to l'tiglJ_ fil)isb is use_g. as tl}g_cylinder b~r~ l. I_n applications"7omi ng in contact
with corrosive materials, stainless steel or brass tubes are used for barrels .
._ . ==---==---- --
The piston is provided with seals to avoid air leakage and for smooth, wear free
operation. The rod is sealed at the rod-end with suitable wiper and rod-seals to avoid
entry of atmospheric contaminants into the cylinder. A suitable bearing is provided lo
take the loads .
. 9.2.3 Seals
Depending upon the type of construction, seals are used at different locations in a
linear cylinder (Fig. 9-3) . Some of the seals and sealing materials are listed below:
1. Piston Seals: Piston seals or pig~ ipg_s are used between the piston and the ba~
(Fig. 9-3a). These rings can be either metallic or non-metallic. Steel rings -~~
wgb zinc phosph~te or man~_se phospbate give a g~;d life ; nd operate sm00th1Y;
Non-metallic rings mqde ·of PTFE (polytetrafloroethylene) widely known as 'fe~
- - - ' ) 1·115
chemically stable-and tough . Because of its very low coefficient of fr:~ ~ '
.
ideal in pneumatic cylinders, and can perform well without lubrication also .
_,mt:1di1Mimf-l 233
Piston seal
(Dynamic)
End cap
seal {Static)

Rod wiper

Rod bearing

Rod seal
Barrel {Dynamic)
Fig. 9-3. Different types of seals in an air cylinder

2. Piston Cups: In some constructions, the piston is provided with piston cup seals
(Fig. ~ ) . Compared to piston with rings, cup seals are much simpler in design
and easy to assemble. They have an L-section, held on either side of a backing plate.
-~,i\ For a singledacting cylinder one cuphis usedd on the pdressure side, while. for a double
/ acting cy1in er two cups, one on eit er si e are use .
The cups are held between the l?acking plate and retainer clamp. Leather or some
synthetic materials {like viton or silicone) are used for sealing cu2s.
3. Rod Seals: Rods are provided-withthree varieties of seals: (i) a dynamic seal (synthetic
~ial) to prevent leakage of air; (ii) a rod bearingJ feflon) to support the rod in the
Ct) end cap; and (iii) a rod wiper (synthetic) to prevent entry of atmospheric contaminants.
7 In very dusty environments, rt!bber bellows are also used to protect the cylinder from
dust ao.d.....m_her external par.ticlgs.
4
· End Cap Seal: Depending ~pon the design, either O-rin9s or die-cut gaskets are ·
used to seal the end cap and the barrel. Synthetic rubb~ and leather are commonly 1
used for this purpose .
92
• .4 End Position Cushioning
Und Norma,! single-acting and double-acting cylinders, while moving heavy loads, may
da ergo sudden impacts at the end of strokes. This sudden deceleration may cause
eri:~ge t? ~he load, or cylinder or to the pneumatic system itself. To avoid this problem ,
Positron cushioning is provided in cylinders.

syst/h~ construction and principle of operation of a simple end-position cushioning

rn is shown in Fig. 9-4 . ·
 234 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Plunger Piston

Port

Needle
valve

Fig. 9-4. End-position cushioning in air cylinder

In this, the piston end is provided with a plunger (or a cushioning piston). The air
inlet port is such that it matches with the cushioning plunger size. At the end of stroke.
the cushioning piston mates with the inlet port and blocks the direct flow patlJ...fu~
air.
The exhaust air now passes through a small, adjustable restricted opening. Since
air cannot pass out easily, the restricted flow through small opening provides a cushioning
effect to the decelerating cylinder. Thus, in the last part of the stroke, the piston speed
gets reduced gradually, which otherwise would have been stopped instantly. The area
of the restricted flow path, hence the cushioning effect can be adjusted with a adjustable
screw.
For the onward stroke, since the main entry is blocked by the cushioning plunger.
a by-pass check valve is provided. The air passes freely through the check valve against
a bias spring pressure. During cushioning action (in the retraction mode) , the check
valve is non-operational, hence no air can escape thro ugh it.
9.2.5 Mounting Arrangements
The mounting arrangements for pneumatic cylinders are same as that of hydraulic
actuators. Refer to Section 3.2.3 , Fig. 3-11 for details of mounting arrangements.

9.3 RODLESS CYLINDERS

As the name suggests, these are cylinders without any rod extending from them.~
rodless cylinder has a barrel with a rodless piston . In some applications, where the~e
not enough space is available for the rod extension or where the stroke length require
is too high , then rodless cylinders are quite useful.' ·
The construction of a rodless cylinder is schematically illustrated in fig. 9.5.
\
, l l l•!iiiltili•i:l,j 235

Magnetic
External Magnetic
follower piS ton I
Air in/out Barrel / Air in/out

tL-----''----t"i~~~-___J t

(a) Construction (b) Symbol

Fig . 9-5. Rodless Cylinder

In this, the piston is rodless, and is freely movable within the cylinder barrel. The
piston has no positive/rigid connection to the external member for actuation. The piston
has a set of annular magnets fitted around it. The external member/actuator is a magnetic
follower, and it is linked to the piston due to magnetic coupling between them. As the
piston moves under fluid pressure , the external sliding member moves in synchronisation
with it. The load to be moved is mounted on a carriage, which in turn is connected to
the magnetic slide. Hence, when the slide moves the carriage along with the load
moves in the direction of movement of the piston.
Advantages
There are number of advantages of a rodless cylinder. The important _b enefits are:
1) The construction of the cylinder is simple as the barrel is sealed from both ends.
2) Such a cylinder has no rod extending from the cylinder and convenient for space
contained applications. .
3) The cylinder can be used for extreme stroke lengths (up to 50 mis p~ssible). ,
4) Flat bed carriages can be used for carrying the loads.
S) The construction can be made compact by concealing th~linder below the carriage.
~) l«-1A,e1, -..J<\ou ~i c.o'l\"'fo\ o.c!JCJ.b\.--n.ut,!. ~o-e>. .':>fee qo..cc...u...~
94
· ROTARY ACTUATORS
Rotary actuators are those pneumatic devices that produce rotary motion. These
can _be either semi-rotary type or motor type . In the semi-rotary actuators, the rotary
rnothon is less than 3600 typically around 280-300°, while in a motor it is continuous
r0 ~ ' .
Pres ion of the shaft. The torque produced in rotary actuators depends on the air
th sure and the design of the actuator. The construction and operation of some of
eseatu
c ators are discussed briefly .below. ·
 i!W.u,mm;i@.;,;,
236 - - - - - - - - -- - - -
9.4.1 Semi-rotary Actuators
.
Th e 1mpor tant types of semi-rotary actuators are: vane type, rack and pinion ty
. . dh · Pe
and ro tary-cy1.mder. The operation
. of these are explame ere.

1. Vane type Semi-rotary actuator

The construction of a simple vane type semi-rotary actuator is illustrated
schematically in Fig. 9-6.
Pump Return
flow flow
i t

Fig. 9-6. Vane type semi-rotary actuator

It has a cylinder with two ports, separated physically by a separator. A rotary vane
sealed with the cylinder wall can rotate freely in the cylinder. However, its rotation is
limited to less than 360°, usually around 270°. The freely rotating vane forms two
chambers between the ports. When air pressure is applied to port 1, the vane rotates
in the clockwise direction, and the air in the other chamber moves out of port 2.
Similarly, when the air pressure is applied to port 2, the vane rotates in anti-clockwise
,. di~ection. The vane rotation is restricted up to the port~ using_suitable limit switches or
stoppers.
2. Rack and pinion type actuator
The construction of a rack and pinion type rotary actuator is shown in Fig. 9.7.
Clockwise Anti-clockwise
~port(1) port (2 ) 't

Pinion gear Rack gear

Fig. 9 -7 · Rack and pinion type rota1y actu1itor

_.,.,,,@O!ilbiltU~I . . . 237
two cylinder-piston arrangement, The pistons are mterconnected through a
It has
fact, the des1gn
. can be cons1.dere d as a aouble
. acting cylinder with a special
1
rack, ~ ton, having rack teeth on it. The rack meshes with a pinion. As the piston
15
1~·de
1 P oder air pressure, th e rack app1·1es a torque on the pinion and causes its rotary
01011es u
010tion- . .
In case of very h1~h torque requirements, the same pinion can be connected to
her set of piston-cylinder-rack arrangement. Due to the combined torque application
anot racks the pinion can move a larger load. ·
b~ - -
1 Rotary-cylinder type actuator.
It use.s a combined motion of two cylinders along with a chain to cause rotary
motion of a sprocket. The construction of a rotary-cylinder type actuator is schematically
shown in Fig. 9-8 .
Chain Spoket

Fig. 9-8. R~tary cylinder actuator

It has two cylinders in parallel. These two cylinders are connected in series through
achain. The chain passes over a matching sprocket. The air pressure is.applied through~
!he_ inlet ports Pl in both the cylinders, so that one· piston extends, while the other
cylinder retracts thus moving the chain. The moving chain causes the limited rotation
ie the s~rocket. The piston stroke. length, hence ~hain length limits the rotary motio~.
1

P~nding upon the design the sprocket rotation of rR-Gre than 360° can also be
obtamed.

9.4·2 A'1r Motors

v Air motors are pneumatic actuators that are designed for continuous rotation.
ane and turbine type air motors are widely used. .
1. V
ane type air motor ·
The construction of a vane type air motor is illustrated in Fig. 9-9.
238 - - - -- -- - - - - -
iifj,i:h\Qi®:~
",
Vanes

Outlet port

Fig. 9-9. Vane type air motor

The construction is similar to that of a hydraulic vane motor. It has a rotor 1.h
slots in which vanes can slide. Th~ vane~ are held against the sm?oth inner surfa~ ~
1
a casing. The vanes are assisted with spnng pressure to pre~s agamst the inner surface
so as to minimise air leakage. The rotor centre and the casmg centres are off-set 50
to cause a difference in the inlet and outlet chambers. This results in a pressure imbalan:
at the inlet and outlet, causing the rotation of the rotor. The high pressure air at the
inlet acts on the unequal areas of the vanes, which in turn apply a torque on the rotor
and causes its rotation.
In this construction, a higher area of the vane surfaces and higher air pressure,
results in a higher torque.
2. Turbine motor
The construction of a turbine type air motor is shown in Fig. 9-10.
Nozzle

High pressure
air inlet ~ ,----y,---,...._
Turbine rotor

Fig. 9-10. Turbine type air motor

It has a turbine rotor with blades around it. A high pressure jet of air is rna?e 1~
impinge on t_he turbine blades. The kinetic energy of the air is converted into rotationa
motion of the rotor. Such motors have a high power-to-weigh~ I
motors. However, they work at very high speeds and hence are suitable for gri ndmg
~ting type of high speed operations. '
__,ne@IGI - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 239
85
of Air Motors
.
motors hav e a number of advantages as compared to electric and hydrau lic
Air some important advantages are :
l) Ught and compac t : Th e air
111otors. · motors are s1mp
· 1e ·in construction,
· hence JI"ght ·m we1"ght
and very compncl.
High power-to-~eight _ratio: Because of the _~O.J:!lpactne5:, air motors give _a very
Z) high power-to-w eight ratio. Compared to electric motors, air motors are as light as
one-fourth the w eight for a given power_output. -q
1... ;

) Reversible motors: The dire<:tion of motion can be easily changed in air motors.
3
4) Variable speed: By contrnlling the air flow the motor speeds can be easily vari_!?d ,
starting from a few hundred rpm to a several thousapd mm. .-
5) No Overheating: Air motors can be over-loaded or stalled ~ itho~

-
usJ_ng
overheating of th e m otor components.
6) Cool Running : As the motor runs, the 9.ir expands and it causes coo_!!ng act~ of
the parts being w orked (drilling, grinding, and so on).
7) Cleanliness: Th ere is no mess of oil and the operation is veiy clean .
8) Lower pressures: Air pressures are lower, hence flexible rubber hoses are good
~ gh. -- - -

9.5 DESIGN PARAMETERS

There are a number of design parameters that decide the selection of a suitable
motor for the applicati o n. Som e important parameters are :
a) Size, weight and compactness: Higher the ~ize, the motor becomes bulkier to
handle. Large size motors are suitable for stationary applications, while small compact
motors are used for mobile applications.
b) Speed selection: The provi sion of speed regu lation helps in using the same motor
for different applicatio ns.
c) O~erload protection: The design of a motor to protect from overloads helps
rn1n·1 ·1
d) m se damage to m otor and to the w ork.
Direction Reversal: It is convenient to provide direction reversal option so that the
) rnotor ca n be run in either direction to mee t the operational requirements.
e Envlronrnental Protection: Basica lly air motors are designed to be insensitive to
~nvironrnental contaminants like dust, w ater, and heat. This makes the operation
rouble-free
f) .
of~~ntenance: The m otor design should cater for low and/or ease o f m ai ntenance
e componen ts. This reduces th e down time and improves productivity.