Lab 1 –Direct and Indirect Control of Pneumatic

Cylinders
Name : Muhammad Rafay Date : 04-09-2023

Regd-No : 2021-MC-39

OBJECTIVES:
1. To familiarize the students with the FESTO trainer for hydraulics and pneumatics
2. To implement the direct control of single and double-acting cylinders. [CLO 4]
3. To implement the indirect control of double acting cylinders. [CLO 4]

APPARATUS:
Compressor, Service unit, manifold, 3/2 way push button valve, single acting cylinder, double acting
cylinder, 5/2 way directional control valve

THEORY:
Single Acting Cylinder:
With the single acting cylinders compressed air is applied on only one side of the piston force. The other
side is open to atmosphere. The cylinder can produce work only in one direction. The return movement of
the piston is affected by a built-in spring or by the application of an external force. The spring force of the
built- in spring is designed to return the piston to its start position with a reasonably high speed under no
load conditions.

Figure 1.1: A single acting cylinder with symbol

Double Acting Cylinders:

The construction principle of a double acting cylinder is similar to that of the single acting cylinder.
However, there is no return spring, and the two ports are used alternatively as supply
and exhaust ports. The double acting cylinder has the advantage that the cylinder is able to carry out work
in both direction of motion. Thus, installation possibilities are universal. The force transferred by the piston
rod is somewhat greater for the forward stroke than for the return stroke as the effective piston surface is
reduced on the piston rod side by the cross-sectional area of the piston rod.

Figure 1.2: A double acting cylinder with symbol

MCT 313L: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET
Lahore
Direct control of pneumatic cylinders
The direct control of pneumatic cylinders involves using a control valve directly with the end actuator. The
valve may be manually or electrically actuated. Usually, actuators with small flow rate requirements can be
controlled directly.
If the port sizes and the flow values of the valve are too large, the operating forces required may be too
great for direct manual operation. Reference values for limits of direct cylinder control are:

 Cylinder with piston diameter smaller then 40mm.

 Valves with connection sizes smaller than 1/4 in.

Consider the following scenarios:

1. A single acting cylinder of 25mm diameter is to clamp a component when a push button is pressed.
As long as the push button is activated, the cylinder is to remain in the clamped position. If the
push button is released, the clamped is to retract.

Figure 1.3: Direct control of single acting cylinder

2. A double acting cylinder is to advance when a push button is operated. Upon release of the push
button the cylinder is to retract. The cylinder is of small bore (25mm of diameter) requiring a small
flow rate to operate at the correct speed.

Figure 1.4: Direct control of a double acting cylinder

Task 1:
1. Draw the circuit diagram for direct control of single-acting and double-acting cylinders.
Designate the valves and indicate the numbering system for the connections (ports).
2. Attach the pneumatic components to the trainer board as described by the instructor and
describe what happens when you actuate the control valves.

MCT 313L: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET
Lahore
 1. Circuit Diagrams

2. Working:
In direct control for single acting cylinder, we have push button and valves connected. When button is
pressed, air fills in cylinder and pushes forward and comes back due to spring movement And 3/2
manually control valve. In double acting cylinder, 5/2 valve is used and one port of it moves forward.
due to compressed air while other port makes the cylinder retract due to exhaust port.
Indirect control of pneumatic cylinders

For applications requiring large forces, cylinders with larger

diameters and flow rate requirements are used. If the force should
prove too high for manual actuation of the valve, then an
indirect actuation should be constructed, whereby a signal is
generated by a smaller valve, which will provide the force
necessary to switch the control element.

Figure 5: Task 2 - Indirect control of a double acting cylinder

MCT 313L: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET
Lahore
 Task 2:
1. Draw the circuit diagram for indirect control of double-acting cylinder. Designate the valves and
indicate the numbering system for the connections (ports).
2. Attach the pneumatic components to the trainer board as described by the instructor and
describe what happens when you actuate the control valves

1. Circuit Diagram

2. Working

In controlling double acting cylinder indirectly, a 5/2 control valve is used along with or-gate logic
intermediate, and two 3/2-way control valves. When push button is pressed, the cylinder moves in forward
direction and when no button is pressed, it retracts to its initial position. If both the buttons are pressed, the
cylinder moves in forward position due to or-logic intermediate.

Review Question 1: What happens to the cylinder, if the push button is pressed for a very short period and
is then immediately released?
Ans: A double acting cylinder is to advance if one of two push buttons is operated. If the push button is then
released, the cylinder is to retract.

MCT 313L: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET
Lahore
Review Question 2: List three applications of pneumatic circuits/actuators from real life.

1. Automobile Engine
2. Food and Beverage Productions
3. The pressure gauges.

Review Question 3: Describe an advantage of indirect control over direct control.

Ans: 1. Greater flexibility in controlling the speed/force of actuator.
2. It can use multiple actuators simultaneously with the centralized control.

Comment on what you learned during this lab:

I learned to the working of single and double acting cylinder directly or indirectly,
how they are pneumatically controlled and their applications in everyday life.

MCT 313L: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering, UET
Lahore