Vacuum cups, or suction cups, are often used as grippers in manual or automated handling applications. They can secure and help move a wide range of productsβeverything from bottles and bags to bricks and wooden boards, and sheet metal, pipes and glass windows. In essence, theyβre the interface between a vacuum system and the workpiece. […]
Engineering Basics
What are air brakes and clutches?
Air brakes serve as the main brake to provide parking and E-stop braking functions in a variety of applications, including draglines, grinding mills and shovels in mining, drawworks for drilling rigs, and marine winches. They provide the quick actuation and stopping times that are necessary in emergency situations or to stop large industrial machines for […]
Critical safety functions within pneumatic systems
As machine builders become more adept at the science of applying newer safety standardsβsuch as ISO 13849βto their designs, theyβve started to take a deeper look at safety within their systems. Here are five of the most common safety functions within pneumatic systems. 1. Protection against unintended startup Potentially the most common of all pneumatic […]
What are air springs?
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Air springs have been used in heavy duty vehicle suspension systems for nearly a century, where they have been able to provide usefulness by taking advantage of the compressed air required for vehicle braking systems. Air springs have provided a two-fold advantage over mechanical leaf- or coil-springs. One advantage with air suspension is the extra […]
The benefits of pneumatics
By Josh Cosford Most people donβt consider that air is also a fluid and rests within the boundaries of fluid power motion control. Hydraulics and pneumatics are similar in principleβmerely different in execution. Hydraulic actuators have high power density; that is, they produce a lot of force from a small package. However, hydraulic fluid is […]
What are vacuum components?
In the simplest sense, vacuum is pressure that is lower than atmospheric. At sea level, atmospheric pressure is usually 14.7 psia. Therefore, any pressure lower than that constitutes a vacuum. In a vacuum system, the difference between atmospheric and vacuum pressure creates the ability to lift, hold, move and generally perform work. The essence of […]
What is pneumatics?
ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟs is the technology of compressed air, but in some circles, it is more fashionable to refer to it as a type of automation control. Pressurized gasβgenerally air that may be either of the dry or lubricated typeβis used to actuate an end effector and do work. End effectors can range from the common cylinder […]
What are air compressors?
Compressors supply the air flow for all equipment in a system. Air compressors work in twoΒ phases: the compression operation and the release operation. There are two types of compressors, positive displacement and dynamic (also called centrifugal). The rate at which a compressor can deliver a volume of air is noted in cubic feet per minute […]
What is miniature pneumatics?
Miniature pneumatics, sometimes called precision pneumatics, encompasses a range of pneumatic components that have been miniaturized for intended use in light- and medium-duty applications and for low-medium pressure ranges. In these systems, size and weight constraints apply or, more commonly, the need for precision is high. System pressures of 20 psi are not unheard of […]
What is a Filter Regulator Lubricator – FRL?
Air leaving a compressor is hot, dirty, and wetβwhich can damage and shorten the life of downstream equipment, such as valves and cylinders. Before air can be used it needs to be filtered, regulated and lubricated. An air line filter cleans compressed air. It strains the air and traps solid particles (dust, dirt, rust) and […]
