Here are some best practices to supply safe, clean and dry air to a machine or piece of equipment. Contributed by Pat Phillips, Product Manager, Fluid Power & Mechanical Products at AutomationDirect Plant-supplied compressed air often travels a long and varying path from the air compressor to where it is connected to a machine or piece […]
Pneumatic pushbutton and selector switch pilot devices from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect’s NITRA brand of pneumatic products now includes new 22-mm pushbutton and switch pilot devices intended for use with pneumatic valve bodies. These pneumatic pushbuttons can also combine valve bodies and electrical contact blocks. ECP series 22 mm pneumatic pushbuttons and switches are used with EVP series valve bodies to create manual valve assemblies, or […]
Innovative pneumatics are realized in subsystem design
Innovation in pneumatics is often found in the way components are put together to create subsystems, instead of within the components. Contributed by Pat Phillips, PE, Product Manager for AutomationDirect, Fluid Power and Mechanical Product Div. Pneumatics have been used in industrial machines and manufacturing plants and facilities for decades, so most of the […]
Pneumatic actuators and grippers
AutomationDirect’s line of NITRA pneumatics includes rotary actuators and pneumatic object grippers. NITRA rotary actuators are available in four body sizes with or without shock absorbers. All are double acting and have an adjustable travel range from zero to 190°. Anodized aluminum bodies include integral mounting slots for position switches and a durable ball-bearing hub, […]
Pneumatic design 101: Go with the flow
The benefits of pneumatic power can be realized by following some basic pneumatic design rules for specifying air preparation units, actuators and valves. Contributed by Chip McDaniel, Educational Specialist at AutomationDirect Compressed air use by industrial machines is a close second to the use of electricity in terms of cost, and well ahead of other […]
AutomationDirect adds NITRA pneumatic rotary actuators, grippers
AutomationDirect’s line of NITRA pneumatics now includes rotary actuators and pneumatic object grippers. NITRA rotary actuators are available in four body sizes with or without shock absorbers. All are double acting and have an adjustable travel range from zero to 190 degrees. Anodized aluminum bodies include integral mounting slots for position switches and a durable […]
ProSense digital pressure gauges from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect’s ProSense DPG1 digital pressure gauges are suitable for industrial and general purpose applications requiring an accurate and reliable device with easy to read digital display. These DPG1 gauges have a 4-digit, 2-in. x 3/4-in. LCD display and 2-button operation. The display can operate in a continuously on mode, or an auto shut-off mode to […]
NITRA current to pneumatic (I/P) transducers added by AutomationDirect
NITRA NCP series electropneumatic transducers from AutomationDirect convert a 4-20 mA current signal (I) from a PLC or other controller to a linear pneumatic output pressure (P). Used in paper and paper converting, food and drug, petrochemical, HVAC, textile, and energy management industries, NCP Series I/P transducers provide highly reliable and repeatable operation of pneumatic […]
Safe pneumatic system design
Consider the following safety and design choices for control of pneumatic systems in automated equipment. By Pat Phillips • Product Manager, Fluid Power & Mechanical Products at AutomationDirect A safe pneumatic system design starts at the connection to a machine’s air preparation hardware and continues to correctly pairing valves with cylinders. This article reviews the […]
AutomationDirect adds Total Air Preparation (TAP) Units and Ethernet/IP (EIP) modules
AutomationDirect’s line of NITRA pneumatics now includes new Total Air Prep (TAP) units and NITRA Ethernet/IP protocol compact modular valve (CMV series) modules. Both TAP units contain an automatic drain air filter with clogged filter indicator, relieving regulator, lockable shut-off valve, pressure gauge and air dump. Electric models also have an adjustable electric soft start […]
@PneumaticTips
Fluid Power World