EE ELECTIVES 1 REVIEWER Characteristics and Application of

Pneumatics
LECTURE 1: Fundamentals of 1. Safety
Pneumatics and Electropneumatics 2. Source Availability
a. Nitrogen approx. 78 % Vol
A pneumatic system is a system that uses b. Oxygen approx. 21 % Vol
compressed air to transmit and control 3. Easy of Cleaning
energy. 4. Cost
5. Low Maintenance
Most pneumatic systems rely on a constant 6. Keep Working through Momentary
supply of compressed air to make Power Outages
them work This is provided by an air 7. Great Power
compressor. 8. to Weight Ratio

The compressor sucks in air from the Characteristics and Application of

atmosphere and stores it in a high
pressure tank called a receiver.
Characteristics and Application of
Pneumatics and Electropneumatics
Electropneumatics
1. Greater Reliability
2. Reduced Installation Complexity
3. Control System can be easily
modified and adapted

The applications of pneumatic system: Pneumatics and Electropneumatics

1. Manufacturing industries, Control System Development
Automotive industry, machine tool
manufacturers and domestic and Pneumatic systems consist of an
commercial appliance interconnection of different groups of
manufacturers. elements.
2. Processing industries, such as
chemical, petrochemical, food
processing, textiles, paper.
3. Used in the brake system of
automobiles, railway coaches,
wagons and printing presses.
4. Application of Pneumatics systems
is widely in industrial robots.

General Methods of Material Handling:

- Clamping
- Shifting
- Positioning
- Orienting
- Branching of Material Flow

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LECTURE 2: Components, Symbols and
Standards of a Pneumatic System
Air Generation and Distribution
- The main function of the air
generation and distribution is to
provide the system with compressed
air which is dry, clean, and at the
required pressure.
Main parts in the Compressed Air
Preparation
1. Air compressor
2. Air tank (Reservoir)
3. Air filter
4. Cooling and drying unit
5. Shut off valve
6. Piping
7. Air Service unit
8. Pressure regulator
9. Air lubricator
10. Manifold
11. Tubes and fittings
12. Pressure Gauge
Main parts in the Compressed Air
Preparation
Air Compressor
- Air compressor is used to produce
the compressed air for the system
by the required volume and
pressure.
- Pneumatic components are
designed for a maximum operating
pressure of 800 1000 kPa (8 10 bar)
but in practice it is recommended to
operate at between 500 600 kPa (5
and 6 bar) for economic and safe
use.
- Due to the pressure losses in the
distribution system, the compressor
should provide pressure between
650 700 kPa (6.5 and 7) bar.
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Air Tank (Reservoir)
- It is a mechanical device that
increases the pressure of air by
reducing its volume. It compresses
the air to a higher PSI (pounds per
square inch). Compressors have a
tank connected to store the air
before it’s released into the
pneumatic track. An air compressor
is a specific type of gas compressor.
An air reservoir should be fitted to:
- Store and stabilize the
compressed air.
- Compensate the pressure
fluctuation.
- Cool the air.
Air Filter
- Compressed air filter has the job of
removing all contaminants from the
compressed air flowing through it as
well as water which has already
condensed.
- The compressed air enters the filter
bowl through guide slots. Liquid
particles and larger particles of dirt
are separated centrifugally collecting
in the lower part of the filter bowl.
- The collected condensate must be
drained before the level exceeds the
maximum condensate mark, as it will
otherwise be re entrained in the air
stream.
Cooling and Drying Unit
As the air comes out from the compressor
very hot and humid; The cooling and drying
unit is used to:
- Condensate the water vapor
(humidity) from the compressed air
- Reduce the compressed air
temperature. (cooling)
- The accumulation of condensate
depends largely on the relative air
humidity. The relative air humidity is
dependent on the air temperature
and the weather situation.
- To remove the humidity, we use
many types of air dryers, the very
common and practical one is by
using a cooling unit which cool the
air and at the same time remove the
water vapor.
- Selection factors of the pipe
diameter:
1. Flow rate
2. Line length
3. Permissible pressure loss
4. Operating pressure
5. Number of flow control points
in the line
Piping Layout
Ring circuits are most frequently used as
main lines. This method of installing
pressure lines also achieves a constant
supply in the case of high air
consumption.

Shut Off Valve

- Pneumatic shut off valves are used
across various industries to
effectively manage and control the
flow of high pressure or compressed
air and gases. They can be used to
block compressed air in an
automation process or to isolate sub
systems when not in use.
- It is used to open and close the
compressed air supply manually.
In Pipe-Run Layout, the pipe lines must be
installed in the direction of flow with a
gradient of 1 to 2%. This is particularly
important in the case of branch lines.
Condensate can be removed from the lines
at the lowest point.

Piping
- The pipe diameter of the air
distribution system should be
selected in such a way
that the pressure loss from the
pressurized reservoir to the
consuming device ideally does not
exceed approx. 10 kPa (0.1 bar).

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Air Service Unit
- The main function of the service unit
is to provide the pneumatic system
with a well cleaned, lubricated and
regulated compressed air.
Pressure Regulator
- The purpose of the regulator is to
keep the operating pressure of the
system (secondary pressure)
virtually constant regardless of
fluctuations in the line pressure
(primary pressure) and the air
consumption
- Reduce/regulate the pressure
Air lubricator
- Most moving parts require some
type of lubrication. The efficiency of
cylinders, valves and air motors can
be greatly improved if they are
supplied with adequate lubrication.
- Pneumatic components can be
lubricated by using an air line
lubricator. It is a device for adding
lubricating oil in aerosol form into a
compressed air line.
- The air passing through the
lubricator transports the lubricant to
air tools, cylinders or other air
operated equipment.
Manifold (distributor)
- Pneumatic manifolds provide a
convenient junction point for the
distribution of fluids or gases and are
used to provide pneumatic power to
two or more locations to supply
multiple tools.
- Simply thread pneumatic fittings into
the ports of the distribution block to
produce an organized method of
supplying multiple lines from a single
source.
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Tubes and Fittings
- Pneumatic fittings are parts used to
connect sections of pipe, tube, and
hose in pneumatic (pressurized gas)
systems. Compared to hydraulic
fittings, pneumatic fittings are
typically characterized by tighter
seals and lower pressure
requirements. They are frequently
used in pneumatic logic control
systems and instrumentation.
Pressure Gauge
- These are equipment that is
connected to the compressor or
compressor tank. To release air into
the pneumatic track, the regulator is
electrically or mechanically
triggered. Gauges are also electric
or mechanic measuring instruments.
They let the computer system or
operator to regulate and check the
PSI of the air inside the compressor.
- It used to display the actual amount
of the pressure in two main units PSI
and bar.
- 1 bar= 14.7 PSI
Main Components of a Pneumatics
System
All pneumatic systems use compressed air
to operate and move parts or
actuators. These systems like pneumatic
valves range from simple air driven
pistons to multiple actuator mining
operations. They commonly use
compressed atmospheric air because of the
abundance and inexpensiveness. Due to
their ease of use, quietness and cost
efficiency, they are generally preferred over
liquid using hydraulic systems.
Main Components of a Pneumatics
System:
Valves
- The function of valves is to control
the pressure or flow rate of pressure
media. Depending on design, these
can be divided into the following
categories:
1. Directional Control Valves
2. Non return Valves
3. Flow Control Valves
4. Pressure Control Valves
5. Shut Off Valves
Directional Control Valves
- The directional control valve controls
the passage of air signals by
generating, canceling or redirecting
signals.
- The valve is described by:
a. Number of ports or opening
(ways) : 2 way, 3 way, 4 way
b. Number of positions:
2 positions. 3 positions
c. Methods of actuation of the
valve: Manually actuated,
Mechanically actuated,
Pneumatically actuated,
electrically actuated
d. Methods of return actuation:
Spring return, air return
- The directional control valve is
represented by the number of
controlled connections, the
number of positions and the flow
path. In order to avoid faulty
connections, all the inputs and
outputs of a valve.
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Non Return Valves
- The non return valve allows a signal
to flow through the device in one
direction and in the other direction
block the flow.
- Amongst others, this principle is
applied in shuttle valves or quick
exhaust valves.
Check Valves
- These are one way valves that are
installed to the hose, which connects
the compressor to the buffer tank.
They let the compressed air gather
in the buffer tanks, but prevent
backflow into it.
Shuttle Valves
- A shuttle valve is a type of valve
which allows air to flow through it
from one of two sources. Generally a
shuttle valve is used in pneumatic
systems
Dual Pressure Valves
- A two pressure valve requires two
pressurized inputs to allow an output
from itself. The dual pressure valve
is switched through (AND function)
when signals are applied to both
inputs
Quick Exhaust Valves
- Quick exhaust valves are installed at
the rod or blind end of a pneumatic
cylinder to provide a quick extension
and retraction of the equipment.
Quick exhaust valves operate by
increasing the speed of the
pneumatic cylinder's rod in order to
expel the exhaust air at the port of
the cylinder directly.
Flow Control Valves
- The flow control valve restricts or
throttle the air in a particular
direction to reduce the flow rate of
the air and hence control the signal
flow
Pressure Control Valves
- Pressure Control Valves are utilized
on the up stream side of the
compressor to ensure the receiver
pressure is limited, for safety, and
that the supply pressure to the
system is set to the correct pressure.
Power Components
- The power section consists of
control elements and power
components or actuators.
- The actuator group indicates various
types of linear and rotary actuators
of varying size and construction.
- The actuators are complemented by
the control elements, which transfer
the required quantity to drive the
actuator.
Actuators can be further broken down into
groups:
A. Linear Actuators
1. Single acting cylinder
2. Double acting cylinder
3. Air Motors
4. Rotary Actuators
Single Acting Cylinder
- Single acting cylinders have one port
where pressurized air enters in one
direction. A spring, or a load, is
usually fitted to the piston. Once air
is cleaned and compressed it enters
through the single port forcing the
piston to extend in one direction
compressing the spring.
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- The spring (or another external
force) will retract the piston back to
its original position after releasing air
through the same port where it
originally entered. Simply put, the
compressed air will force a forward
stroke inside the cylinder and the
spring will return the stroke.
- If you are looking to utilize your
machine in a linear motion and
perform movements such as
clamping, positioning and punching,
then single acting cylinders might be
your solution.
Types of Single Acting Cylinder
1. Push Type Cylinder : Air enters to
push the piston out of the cylinder
2. Pull Type Cylinder : Air enters to
pull the piston inside of the cylinder
Advantages of Single Acting Cylinder
- Simple design; easy to install
- Low Cost of initial purchase
- Single port and small housing
- Reduction in valve and piping cost to
double acting cylinder
Disadvantages of Single Acting Cylinder
- Compressed air requires proper
preparation
- Spring take to much space and limits
working area
- Reduced thrust due to the opposing
spring force
- With prolonged spring usage,
pistons strokes can become
inconsistent
Double Acting Cylinder Disadvantages of Double Acting Cylinder
- Unlike single acting air cylinders, - More costly than single pneumatic
double acting cylinders can extend cylinders
and retract without the need of a - Requires bigger housing if used as a
spring. Instead of applying feed cylinder it needs to be coupled
pressurized air into one port, double with another machine system
acting cylinders have two ports - In certain situations, air consumption
where air can enter in and out. may be calculated at different rates
- Air enters through one port moving
the piston forward and then applies
pressurized air into the other port
retracting the piston back into the
cylinder.
- Double acting cylinders are the most
widely used pneumatic actuators
compared to single acting cylinders
given their ability to extend and
retract within a shorter time period,
thus, becoming more efficient and
precise.
- Double acting pneumatic cylinders
are mostly used in industrial and
robotics industries. They perform
tasks such as opening/closing doors
and lifting and moving merchandise
off conveyor belts.
- When looking for a device to move
load in both directions, double acting
cylinders are a useful application
when your machine requires more
than one movement.

Advantages of Double Acting Cylinder

- More control over movement since
pressurized air moves both ways
- Faster, stronger and use less energy
- Offer more design variation: stroke
and bore sizes
- Many double acting pneumatic
cylinders are ISO compliant as
opposed to single pneumatic
cylinders

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Conclusion:
What to choose between the two?
Although both systems use compressed air
as their main source of energy, their port
design allows them to perform quite
differently.
Single acting cylinders are mainly used in
industrial applications where force is
needed in one direction, for example,
ejecting parts/items off conveyor belts.
Double acting cylinders, on the other
hand, are widely recognized across many
industries for being faster, stronger, and
more efficient than single acting cylinders.
Systems: Creating Circuit Diagrams
Generally, the actuation of a cylinder is
effected via a directional control valve. The
choice of such a directional control valve
(number of connections, number of
switching positions, type of actuation) is
dependent on the respective application.
The piston rod of a single acting cylinder is
to advance (actuate) when a push button
is operated. When the push button is
released, the piston is to automatically
return to the initial position.

Applications that require speed and force

will need the help of double acting cylinders
whereas light assembly work can be
deployed by single acting cylinders.

Since single acting cylinders will require

more maintenance than double acting
cylinders, their initial purchase cost is much
lower. Additionally, single acting cylinders
will often need to be replaced. Over time the
spring will stretch and cause inaccurate
precision.
In terms of power, double acting cylinders
can perform quicker and stronger when
compared to single acting cylinders. Despite
of their cost, double acting pneumatic
cylinders continue to be widely used and
recognized for their superior design.
The piston rod of a double acting cylinder is
to advance when a push button is operated
and to return to the initial position when the
push button is pressed again. The double
acting cylinder can carry out work in both
directions of motion, due to the full air
supply pressure being available for
extension and retraction.

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SUMMARY

I. MAIN PARTS IN THE COMPRESSED AIR PREPARATION

PARTS IMAGE SYMBOL

Air Compressor

Air Tank (Reservoir)

Air Filter

Cooling and Drying Unit

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 Shut Off Valve

Piping

Air Service Unit

Pressure Regulator

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 Air lubricator

Manifold (distributor)

Tubes and Fittings

Pressure Gauge

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 II. MAIN COMPONENTS OF A PNEUMATICS SYSTEM (PARTS)

PARTS IMAGE SYMBOL

Directional Control Valves

Non Return Valves

Check Valves

Non Return Valves

Shuttle Valves

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 Non Return Valves

Dual Pressure Valves

Non Return Valves

Quick Exhaust Valves

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 Flow Control Valves

Pressure Control Valves

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 III. OTHERS

A. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL VALVES

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 B. NON RETURN VALVES

C. SINGLE AND DOUBLE ACTING CYLINDER

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