Exploring pneumatic actuators

Pneumatic actuators use pressurized air or gas as an energy or power source to produce rotary or linear motion. They are very reliable, efficient, and safe for use in an environment where electricity may cause a fire hazard. They have various industrial applications, which include the regular opening and closing of valves, pick and place handlers, and so on. A pneumatic actuator can also be referred to as a pneumatic cylinder or air cylinder.

In a pneumatic actuator, compressed air or pressurized gas enters a chamber, and the gas builds up pressure in contrast to the outside atmospheric pressure, which results in the motion of a device, which could be a piston or gear. The motion created by a pneumatic actuator can be linear or circular. Hence, a pneumatic actuator simply converts the energy in compressed air into a linear or circular motion.

Figure 3.16 shows a valve on the left side of the figure that can be operated manually and a valve on the right side...