Directional control valve,Air cylinder-What to know about Air-actuators, air cylinders

When we use an air-actuator we are converting the energy stored in our compressed air into mechanical energy. Directional control valveThe compressed air ‘moves things’, Air cylinder usually by attaching them to a cylinder piston rod.

Types of ActuatorsPneumatic fitting

The type of actuator you will need for your application will depend on what it is you are trying to do and the range of motion desired. There are linear and rotary actuators commercially available. You can select electric or hydraulic actuators rather than air actuators; electricity and hydraulics being other readily available forms of industrial energy.

Electrical actuators have their place, though pneumatic actuators will provide more power in a smaller package at a lower cost than electrical actuators can. If yours is a high cycle speed application, electric actuators wouldn't be your first choice as they don’t normally provide the speed that an actuator driven by compressed air can. For precise positioning applications, the first choice is often electric actuators. They can provide positioning to tighter tolerances than most air cylinders. Also, where compressed air is not readily available, electric actuators can be the option of choice.

Hydraulic actuators are the champion when it comes to brute force, easily outperforming air cylinders of the same bore size. With hydraulics you can generate much more force from a much smaller actuator than is possible with air. This power to size superiority comes at a higher cost over pneumatic components. If it's high brute force - thousands of pounds of force - or you need to generate relatively high force in a smaller footprint – perhaps where there isn’t room for a pneumatic actuator of the size necessary to provide the force the application requires - hydraulic actuators are called for.

Generally though, if you can generate the force you need with air and the actuator footprint isn't the biggest issue, your application doesn't require precise positioning, then air cylinder actuators would be your first choice. They are easy to obtain, have simple operation and are relatively low cost.