PNEUMATIC WORKING

ELEMENTS

CHAPTER-4

Cylinders
Structure of Pneumatic System

Cylinders
The pneumatic actuator can be described under two groups,

• Linear motion
– Single-acting cylinders

– Double-acting cylinders

• Rotary motion
– Air motor

– Rotary cylinders

– Rotary actuator

Cylinders
PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

Cylinders
WORKING ELEMENT (Cylinders or Actuators)

Cylinder or Actuator is one, which converts Pneumatic energy to

mechanical output.
CYLINDERS

Single acting cylinder Double acting cylinder

• Conventional * Conventional
• Diaphragm * Double ended piston rod
• Rolling diaphragm * Tandem
* Multi position
* Impact Cylinder
* Rotary
* Rod less

Cylinders
 General characteristics of pneumatic cylinder

• Diameter 6 mm to 320 mm

• Stroke length 1 mm to 2 m

• Available force 2 KN to 30KN

• Piston speed 0.02 mm to 2 m/s

Cylinders
SSINGLE ACTING CYLINDER

• With single-acting cylinders compressed air is applied on only one

side of the piston face.

• The other side is open to atmosphere.

• The cylinder can produce work in only one direction.

• The return movement of the piston is effected by a built-in spring.

• 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.

Cylinders
• For single-acting cylinders with built-in spring, the stroke is limited
by the natural length of the spring.

• Single-acting cylinders are therefore only available in stroke lengths

of up to approximately 80 mm.

Applications:

- Transferring - Converging

- Branching - Allocating

- Clamping - Ejecting

- Pressing

Cylinders
Cylinders
 SAC

Cylinders
Cylinders
 SAC

Cylinders
There are varying designs of single-acting cylinders including:
• Diaphragm cylinder
• Rolling diaphragm cylinder

Cylinders
DIAPHRAGM CYLINDER

• It is also called as pancake cylinder or clamping cylinder.

• A built-in diaphragm made of rubber, plastic or even metal

performs the task of the piston. The piston rod is attached to the
centre of the diaphragm.

• There is no sliding seal, but merely friction as a result of the

tensile stress of the diaphragm.

• They are used in short stroke applications.

• Used in manufacturing of tools and fixtures, embossing,

riveting, lifting operations and clamping on presses.

• They are generally used in food industry

Cylinders
DIAPHRAGM CYLINDER

Cylinders
Cylinders
ROLLING DIAPHRAGM CYLINDER

Cylinders
ROLLING DIAPHRAGM CYLINDER

• When compressed air is entered to the port, diaphragm rolls

along the inner walls of the cylinder and moves the piston rod
outwards.

• They do not exhibit sliding friction and operate with zero

leakage.

Cylinders
 DAC

Cylinders
 DAC

Cylinders
Cylinders
DOUBLE ACTING CYLINDER

 The force exerted by compressed air moves the piston in a two

directions.

 Stroke length is limited to 2m.

 Force and speed during forward and return stroke is different.

 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.

Cylinders
 Double-acting cylinders

• The double- acting cylinder has the advantage that the cylinder is
able to carry out work in both directions of motion.

• The effective piston surface is reduced on the piston rod side by

the cross-sectional area of the piston rod.

Cylinders
 24
Cylinders
Cylinders
CYLINDER WITH END POSITION CUSHIONING

 Cushioning is used in the end position to prevent hard impact and

damage.

 Before reaching the end position, a cushioning piston interrupts the

direct flow path of the air to the outside.

 Instead, a very small, and often adjustable, escape aperture is open

 The compressed air is compressed in the final portion of the

cylinder.

Cylinders
Cylinders
 The resultant excess pressure is relieved through the built-in
throttle return valves(small escape apertures).

 The necessary compression work causes energy to be converted.

 The piston moves slowly into the end position.

Cylinders
Cylinders
Tandem Cylinder

 The tandem cylinder incorporates the features of two double

acting cylinder which have been joined to form a single unit.

 By this arrangement and with the simultaneous loading of both

pistons, the force on the piston rod is almost doubled.

 This design is suitable for such applications used where large

force is required but the cylinder diameter is restricted.

Cylinders
Cylinders
CYLINDER WITH DOUBLE SIDED
PISTON ROD

 The force is same in both directions.

Cylinders
MULTI POSITION CYLINDER

Cylinders
MULTI POSITION CYLINDER

Cylinders
 MULTI POSITION CYLINDER

 It consists of two or several double acting cylinders.

 Depending on the pressure applied the individual cylinder travel out.

 Two cylinders having different stroke length will have four positions.

 Used for filling shelves from a conveyor, lever actuation, sorting device
etc.,

Cylinders
IMPACT CYLINDER

Cylinders
IMPACT CYLINDER

 The cylinder producing high kinetic energy is the impact

cylinder.

 Develops a stroke velocity of 7.5 to 10 m/s.

 Used in pressing, flanging, riveting, punching etc.,

Cylinders
Cylinders
Cylinders
CABLE CYLINDER

Cylinders
CABLE CYLINDER

 This is a double acting cylinder.

 A cable is attached to each side of the piston and guided over rollers.

 Used in door operation, small size units producing large stroke

length.

Cylinders
ROTARY CYLINDER
• Piston rod has a gear tooth
profile with which piston rod
drives the gear wheel.
• Linear motion is there by
converted to rotary motion
clockwise and anticlockwise
depending on the stroke
direction.
• The range of swivel being 45,
90, 180, 270 to 360 degree.
• The torque depends on
pressure, piston area and ratio.
• Used for turning work pieces,
bending metal tools,
regulating air conditioning
plant etc.,
Cylinders
ROTARY VANE CYLINDER

• Has a limited angle

of rotation, the
angle of rotation is
seldom greater
than 300 degree.
• Used for smaller
torques

Cylinders
 TYPES OF MOUNTING

Front flange
Foot

Rear flange
Thread

Cylinders
 TYPES OF MOUNTING

Swivel flange rear

Swivel flange front

Swivel flange centre

Cylinders
 CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION

1 Cylinder barrel 3 Bearing cap 5 Sealing ring

2 Base cap 4 Piston rod 6 Bearing bush
7 Scraping ring 8 Double cup packing 9 O - ring

Cylinders
CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION

Cylinders
 TYPES OF SEALING

O – Ring Groove Ring on Shaped ring

both sides

Cup Packing
Square Ring

Cylinders
 CALCULATIONS FOR CYLINDERS
• The piston force exerted by working element is
dependent on the air pressure, cylinder diameter
and the frictional resistance of the sealing
component.
• The theoretical piston force is calculated using
the formula Fth= A.p
Fth = theoretical piston force
A = useful piston area
P = operation pressure
• In practice the effective piston force is significant.
In calculating the effective piston force the
frictional resistance must be taken into account.
• Force for single acting cylinder is given by:
Fn = A . p – (FR + FF)

Cylinders
 CALCULATIONS FOR CYLINDERS
• Double acting cylinder (forward stroke)
Fn = A . p – FR
• Double acting cylinder (return stroke)
Fn = A’ . p – FR
Fn = effective piston force
A = useful piston area
A’= useful piston ring area
p = operation pressure
FR= frictional force
FF = force of return spring
D = Cylinder diameter
d = piston rod diameter
Cylinders
 AIR CONSUMPTION
• For the preparation of air and to determine the power cost
it is important know the air consumption of the system.
Air consumption of pneumatic cylinder
= compression ratio x area of cross section of piston
x stroke length
Compression ratio:
Air is compressed and reduced in volume and sent to the
cylinder.
The quantity of air that the compressor compresses per hour
is the air at atmospheric pressure. But the air delivered to
the cylinder is in compressed condition. Compression ratio
is the ratio between the original volume of air and the
compressed volume of air. It can be expressed in terms of
pressure.
Compression ratio = 1.013 x 105 + operation pressure
1.013 x 105

Cylinders
 AIR CONSUMPTION
Air consumption for single acting cylinder
Q = S.n x πD2 / 4 x compression ratio
Air consumption for double acting cylinder
Q = ( πD2 / 4 + π (D2 - d2)) x S x n x C.R
4
Where, Q = quantity to air consumed
S = Stroke Length
n = number of strokes per minute
D = diameter of the cylinder
d = piston rod diameter

Cylinders
 TYPES OF SEALING

Double cup packing

Buttoned in groove
ring packing

L - Ring
Supported groove
rings with slide ring
Cylinders
 PNEUMATIC MOTORS – PISTON MOTOR
(RADIAL TYPE)
The devices transformed pneumatic energy to mechanical
rotary movement. Such rotary working elements are
pneumatic motors.
• The crank shaft of the
motor is driven by the
compressed air via
reciprocating pistons and
connecting rods.
• To ensure smooth running
several cylinders are
required.
• The power of motors
depends on input
pressure, number of
pistons, piston area,
stroke and piston speed.
Cylinders
PNEUMATIC MOTORS – PISTON MOTOR
(AXIAL TYPE)

• The working principle of the

axial piston motor is similar to
that of radial piston motor.
• Force from 5 axially arranged
cylinder is converted into a
rotary motion via a swash
plate.
• Compressed air is applied to
two pistons at once, the
balance torque providing
smooth running of the motor.
• The maximum speed is
around 5,000 rpm and power
range at normal pressure is
1.5 to 19 kw.
Cylinders
 SLIDING VANE MOTORS
•The principle of operation is the reverse of the sliding vane compressor.
•An eccentric rotor is contained in bearings in a cylindrical chamber.
•Slots are arranged in the rotors.
• The vanes are guided in the slots of
the rotor and forced outwards against
the inner wall of the cylinder by
centrifugal force.
• This ensures that individual cylinders
are sealed.
• The vanes form working chambers in
the motor.
• The effect of the air in this working
chambers depends on the effective
areas of the vanes.
• The air enters in the smallest chamber
and expands as the chamber enlarges.
• Speed ranges from 3000 to 8500 rpm
• Power range from 0.1 to 17 KW.

Cylinders