The Fundamentals of Pneumatic Control Technology

The Fundamentals
of Pneumatic
Control Technology
PNEUMA : means Breath or Wind in Greek word

Pneumatics is the name given to the branch of
physics which treats with the
properties, motions and behavior of Air
Media Selection Criteria :
Speed of Operation.
Reliability.
Service Life.
Sensitivity to Environment.
Ease of Maintenance.
Available Expertise.
Training Requirements.
Major differences between Pneumatics and Hydraulics :

#
Pneumatics
Hydraulics
Higher speed. Usually 1.5 to 3 meters/sec.
Slow speed. Usually up to 0.5 meters/sec.
Forces available up to 50,000 N.
Forces available up to 50,000,000 N.
Pneumatics can be used in high temperature

areas up to 200C.
Hydraulics is not suited for temperatures

beyond 100C.
Cylinder force is proportional to amount of air

entering the cylinder, and hence highly
controllable.
Cylinder travel is proportional to amount of

oil entering the cylinder, and hence highly
controllable.
Well suited for delicate handling jobs.
Not suited for delicate handling jobs.
Cylinder position is not predictable under

dynamic loads. Hence smooth movement
cannot be guaranteed.
Cylinder position is highly predictable for all

kinds of loads. Movement is therefore very
smooth.
Positioning of pneumatic cylinders can be

done with a moderate level of accuracy.
Usually 1 2 mm.
Positioning of hydraulic cylinders can be

done with much better accuracy. Usually
better than 0.25 mm.
Not well suited to handle high starting loads.
Very well suited to handle high starting

loads.
Why choose Pneumatics ?
High Speed.
Inexpensive and mature technology.
Easily available, Low on cost.
Reliability.
Long service life.
Storage.
Transportable - No loss of power during storage.
Safety - Can be used in hazardous / sensitive or clean room areas.
o Coal Mines.
o Petroleum Refining.
o LPG Bottling.
o Medicine & Pharma.
Advantage of Pneumatics
Whenever force required is less than 50,000N we prefer Pneumatic to

Hydraulic.
Displacement is of the range of (2 mm 3 M) with special Rodless

Cylinder even 10 Meter is Possible.
Pneumatic Operation (1.5 m/s) are faster than Hydraulic (0.5 m/s) with
Impact
Cylinder Velocity up to 7 m/s is also possible.
Air exists freely in atmosphere no problem like depleting resources.
Advantage of Pneumatics
In Air drop in pressure is not large. In Hydraulics, Return lines are

required. It can be transported over a large distance up to 1000 meter.
You cannot take oil in hydraulics for 100 meter.
Temperature Change in the Temperature does not affect the Steady

StatePerformance of the System.
Cleaning Leaking Pipes does not Contaminate. It is used in Food &

Pharma, Chemical, Textile, Printing Inks, etc
Air will not burn also working pressure is around 6 Bar. So it is safe.
Hence, explosion proof.
Cost Initial cost is high but maintenance cost is low. Total cost is
minimum so it is economical.
Limitations of Pneumatics
Forces above 50,000N Hydraulic is commercial over Pneumatic.
When cylinder moves Slip & Stick motion exists.
Displacement is not smooth because of Jerks.
Air has to be freed from Dust, Humidity & Moisture. Otherwise, it will
corrode, spoil of the Sealing Elements so, Air Preparation is required.
Exhaust air makes Noise.
Types of Motion.
Linear - Along a straight line.

Swivel - Circular motion through a fixed angle,
usually 90 / 180 / 270 degrees.
Rotary - Continuous circular motion.
General Applications of Pneumatics.

Clamping, Shifting, Orienting, Positioning, Diverting, Feeding.
Applications in Industry :
Automobile Production.
Petroleum Refining.
Petrochemicals.
Food & Confectionery.
Packaging & Handling.
Machine Tools.
Robotics.
Electronics - Pick and place.
Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Force
A force can accelerate bodies,

brake or change their
direction of motion.
Work can be performed due
to the effect of force.

Weight
The weight corresponds to the

product from mass of a body
and the acceleration due to
gravity.
The weight always acts in the
direction of earths center.

Pressure

Sample Calculation

Pascals law
Properties of Air
Air contains
Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
Others 01 % (CO2,Argon,Hydrogen,Neon etc).
Compressed Air
Elements of Pneumatic System
Elements of Pneumatic System
Air Preparation
Water Separation.
Water causes corrosion.
Washes away lubrication.
Filtration.
Dust is responsible for abrasion.
Reduces the effectiveness of lubricants
Air Preparation
Pressure Regulation.
Constant pressure is required for uniform performance of
pneumatic components.
Lubrication.
Lubrication is required to replace lubricant lost due to
effects of dust and water over prolonged periods.
Reduces internal friction in components
Air Generation & Distribution
Air Distribution
Air Distribution Considerations :

Flow Rate.
Distance of transmission.
Permissible pressure loss.
Minimum operating pressure.
Number of air take off points.
Air Leakage & Its Effects

Typical Sources of Air Leakage :
Metal pipe joints and flanges.
Connectors & fittings.
Cracked tubes.
Loosened components.
Defective gaskets or O rings.
Air Leakage & Its Effects

Effects of Air Leakages :
Increased power consumption of compressor.
Drop of pressure in long pipelines. Hence drop in
performance of equipment.
Pressure fluctuations.
Additional costs incurred to counter its effects.
Compressor
Compressed Air requirement
The total compressed air requirement depends on the consumption
of the individual consumers, the leakage losses and the operating
conditions.
Pressure and quantity, which a compressor supplies, has an effect

on the achievable output of the components and the plant
What is Compressor?
A Compressor is a compressing device.
A compressor generates compressed air.
Converts mechanical energy into fluid power (pneumatic) energy.
Generates pressure and flow.
Important criteria for the selection of a Compressor are:
Operating pressure
Flow rate
Controllability
Oil free compressed air
Types of Compressors
Compressed Air Preparation

Suction Filter

Inter Coolers

Compressed Air Receiver
Requirements for Effective Dry Air

The aim of proper compressed air preparation is to
remove contamination & moisture
The air generated from compressor should route through various
filters & dryers to attain required quality class
Air Filter
Better suited for small volume

applications.
Moderately efficient water removal.
Inexpensive method with low

maintenance requirements.
Water has to be manually drained out.

Optional automatic water drainage is
also available.
Filter must be rated at 40 microns or

better. Finer filters (0.01 - 5 microns)
are required for more sensitive
equipment.
Air Regulator
A pressure regulator is used to keep

the pressure in the equipment
constant.
A regulator can reduce, but not

increase the pressure.
Air Regulator
Air Filter Regulator Unit ( FR )
Air Lubricator
WORKING ELEMENTS - (Cylinders or Actuators)

Cylinder or Actuator is one, which converts Pneumatic energy to
mechanical output
General characteristics of pneumatic cylinder
Diameter 6 mm to 320 mm
Stroke length 1 mm to 2 m
Available force 2 KN to 50KN
Piston speed 1 to 3 m/s
Single Acting cylinder
Single Acting cylinder
Double Acting Cylinder

Speed of movement is
dependent on pressure
difference between front
and rear compartments.
Movement is only possible
if there is a pressure
difference between the two
sides.
A cushioned cylinder slows
down piston speed at the
end of travel to avoid
damage due to impact.

Double Piston Rod or Double Ended Piston Rod Cylinder
Multipositioning Cylinder

Tandem Cylinder
Impact Cylinder
Valves
Signal and control components influence the operating sequence of
the working part and are termed as valves.
Types
Directional control valve
Flow control valve
Logic elements
Pressure and time dependent valves

DC valves are used to start, to stop and to change the directions
of a pneumatic system
Representation of DC Valves
Number of ports
Number of switching position
Mode of actuation
Mode of reset
5/2 Way , Directional Control Valve
5/2 Way , Directional Control Valve
Operation of Direction Control Valve
Flow Control Valve

Basic Principles of Flow Control
Some important points about flow control :
The speed of a cylinder depends upon the rate of flow of air entering
or leaving the cylinder.
Slowing down the rate of flow of air entering or leaving a cylinder,
slows down cylinder speed.
Air that is entering the cylinder is known as Supply air, or Inlet air.
Air that is leaving a cylinder is known as Exhaust air.
Flow Control Valve - Internal Construction

Throttle Valve
Throttles air flow in both
directions.
Throttles inlet air as well as
exhaust air on one side of the
cylinder.
Reduces the speed of the cylinder
in both directions. Hence only one
valve is required per cylinder.
Offers less flexibility of control.

Non Return Valve

One Way Flow Control Valve
Throttles air flow in only one
direction. No control of air flow in
reverse direction.
Reduces the speed of the cylinder
in only one direction. Hence two
valves are required to control
cylinder speed in both directions.
The ball and arrow in the symbol
shows direction of throttling.
Offers better flexibility in speed
control.

Meter In (or) Supply Air Throttling
Air entering the cylinder is throttled, while
air leaving the cylinder flows at full
speed.
Produces very jerky movement when
used with a constant load. The load
moves only after sufficient pressure is
built up inside the cylinder. The delay in
cylinder movement may be very
substantial with large loads.
Generally used only in certain clamping
applications where the clamping force
must be increased gradually.

Meter Out (or) Exhaust Air Throttling
Air leaving the cylinder is throttled,
while air entering the cylinder flows
at full speed.
Cylinder moves more smoothly as
pressure inside the cylinder builds
up quickly and remains constant
throughout.
Better suited to applications where
there is a constant load on the
cylinder. Most commonly used and
preferred method of flow control.
Quick Exhaust Valve
Used for Impact applications or

Emergency retraction of cylinders.
Provides a shorter and less
complicated path for air to flow out
from a cylinder.
Cylinder speed increases due to
reduction of resistance to air flow.
Functional Block Diagram

Block diagrams are more easily
understood by a layman. No
knowledge of symbols is necessary.
They are faster and easier to draw.
Corrections are also easier to
make.
A block diagram can be easily
converted into a circuit diagram.
Individual blocks in a diagram may
represent a single item, or multiple
items, performing a certain function.

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The Fundamentals

PNEUMA : means Breath or Wind in Greek word

Media Selection Criteria :

Major differences between Pneumatics and Hydraulics :

Higher speed. Usually 1.5 to 3 meters/sec.

Slow speed. Usually up to 0.5 meters/sec.

Forces available up to 50,000 N.

Forces available up to 50,000,000 N.

Pneumatics can be used in high temperature

Hydraulics is not suited for temperatures

Cylinder force is proportional to amount of air

Cylinder travel is proportional to amount of

Well suited for delicate handling jobs.

Not suited for delicate handling jobs.

Cylinder position is not predictable under

Cylinder position is highly predictable for all

Positioning of pneumatic cylinders can be

Positioning of hydraulic cylinders can be

Not well suited to handle high starting loads.

Very well suited to handle high starting

Why choose Pneumatics ?

Whenever force required is less than 50,000N we prefer Pneumatic to

Displacement is of the range of (2 mm 3 M) with special Rodless

Cylinder Velocity up to 7 m/s is also possible.

Air exists freely in atmosphere no problem like depleting resources.

In Air drop in pressure is not large. In Hydraulics, Return lines are

Temperature Change in the Temperature does not affect the Steady

Cleaning Leaking Pipes does not Contaminate. It is used in Food &

Forces above 50,000N Hydraulic is commercial over Pneumatic.

When cylinder moves Slip & Stick motion exists.

Displacement is not smooth because of Jerks.

Exhaust air makes Noise.

Linear - Along a straight line.

General Applications of Pneumatics.

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

A force can accelerate bodies,

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

The weight corresponds to the

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Physical Principle of Pneumatics

Elements of Pneumatic System

Elements of Pneumatic System

Air Generation & Distribution

Air Distribution Considerations :

Air Leakage & Its Effects

Air Leakage & Its Effects

Pressure and quantity, which a compressor supplies, has an effect

Important criteria for the selection of a Compressor are:

Compressed Air Preparation

Compressed Air Preparation

Compressed Air Preparation

Requirements for Effective Dry Air

Better suited for small volume

Moderately efficient water removal.

Inexpensive method with low