Winning entries in the 2021 LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) Awards were announced by WTWH Media today in 12 categories, including Pneumatics. This year’s winners were chosen by an independent judging panel of 12 engineering and academic professionals. For each category, judges could award Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mentions. The 2021 Pneumatics category winners […]
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Where are single-acting pneumatic cylinders used?
By Frances Richards, contributor Pneumatic cylinders are a clean and cost-effective option for achieving reliable linear motion in many industrial environments. Because they are lighter weight and lower maintenance than their hydraulic and electric counterparts, they are an excellent choice in applications from factory automation and transportation to packaging and life sciences. Two main styles […]
Achieve a greener packaging line with pneumatics technologies
By integrating pneumatics technologies, consumer packaged goods companies can reduce their carbon — and equipment — footprint. Contributed by Mark Densley, Director Business Development Factory Automation, Emerson Customer demand, as well as a sense of environmental responsibility, is driving consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to drastically reduce their carbon footprint. While many companies seek ways to make […]
Compressed air fail: Piston to screw upgrade
A small automotive service shop was looking for new compressors. The old compressors were reaching the end of life and required constant overhauls. The shop owner was persuaded by a compressor salesperson to go with a screw compressor instead. The existing 10-hp units put out about 35 cfm each, one was the lead unit, the […]
DSNU-S standard ISO round cylinders are small, slim and light
The new DSNU-S round cylinder is the latest response from Festo to the need of machine designers for smaller versions of standard components so they can shrink the footprint of their machines or production lines accordingly. The DSNU-S, part of Festo’s core product range of always-in-stock components, is up to 40% slimmer, 35 mm shorter, […]
What are single-acting pneumatic cylinders?
Contributed by Frances Richards Pneumatic cylinders, also called air cylinders, pneumatic actuators, or pneumatic drives, are relatively simple mechanical devices that use the energy of compressed air and turn it into linear motion. Lightweight and low maintenance, pneumatic cylinders generally operate at lower speeds and less force than their hydraulic or electric counterparts, but are […]
Pulsed air boosts pneumatic efficiency
The AirFlowSaver supplies energy- and cost-optimized compressed air based on unique SmartValve technology. Contributed by Wolfgang Teichmann, CEO and Markus Koenig, CSO, KTW Technology, Wehr, Germany nad Andy Pott, Vice President, PHIR Technologies, Hartland, Wisconsin For well over a century, compressed air has been commonly used across many industries because it is a simple, flexible and […]
How do you specify pneumatic cylinders?
Contributed by Darryl Powell, Doc’s Hydraulic-Pneumatic Training LLC When specifying pneumatic cylinders, you may think that the most important information needed is the bore size and stroke. While these details are certainly important, the application’s requirements are more critical. For example, several questions should be considered: is the cylinder in a wet environment (maybe salt […]
Distributed electro-pneumatics maximize machine automation options
Distributed automation options have been improving for many years. Networked electro-pneumatic solenoid banks give machine builders smart and convenient choices. Kevin Kakascik, Technical Marketing Engineer, AutomationDirect Most automated machines and systems incorporate some number of enclosures and panels for housing controls components. However, these centralized devices typically must interconnect with many more field sensors and […]
Application-specific pneumatic cylinder for cheese making
Festo recently introduced an application-specific pneumatic cylinder for cheese presses that improves consistency and quality in large operations and low-volume artisan cheese making. The stainless-steel outer body of the Festo CRD cylinder represents the latest in sanitary innovation as its unique bell-shaped construction provides best-in-class hygienic design. These cylinders are lubricated with NSF-H1 grease, which […]
