Pneumatic cylinders are some of the most common items to find in fabrics. However, their way of functioning is often unknown to many people. Here you will be able to solve most of your doubts.
What are pneumatic cylinders?
Let’s start with the basics.
Pneumatic cylinders are devices that transform compressed gas or air into a reciprocating linear or rotative motion, based on the type of cylinder we have at hand. It is common for many people in the industry to refer to them as “siłowniki pneumatyczne” or “air cylinders.”
There are diverse types of pneumatic cylinders, but the main ones include:
- Single-acting pneumatic cylinders, which enable air to move the piston in a single direction.
- Double-acting pneumatic cylinders, which enable air to move the piston into one of the ports, then it immediately moves in the opposite direction.
Please note that the way of functioning described above is very summarized. You should also know that the types of pneumatic cylinders mentioned here are the most common, but there are many other types that can combine both types into the same gadget for specific results. Either way, pneumatic cylinders are prominently used in fabrics for the automatization of certain processes.
Uses of pneumatic cylinders
As explained, pneumatic cylinders transform air into kinetic energy or gripping force. This is possible thanks to the piston, which starts moving in a linear or rotative manner when the compressed air is introduced into the machine.
Pneumatic cylinders can be useful in diverse situations. Some of the most common ones include the following:
- Cutting and gripping devices (manufacturing)
- Actioning other processes, like opening the doors of a bus
The uses are infinite, as there are many applications where pneumatic cylinders can be needed. The examples explained here are some of the basic applications. Some industries use very specific types of pistons to work, which can be accustomed to their needs. For instance, you may come across a pneumatic cylinder that integrates a magnet into its parts, which can be used to regulate its own functioning or operate other machinery components.
Explaining the different uses of pneumatic cylinders can be quite extended for this reason.
Why are there so many types of pneumatic cylinders?
As mentioned above, there are different areas within the industry that need to automatize certain processes. Since pneumatic cylinders are highly customizable mechanical devices, some fabrics use these properties to their advantage. Thus, they end up personalizing the components based on their needs, allowing them to improve the efficiency of their mechanical processes.
Pneumatic cylinders have been used for a long time. Thus, more variations of them may appear throughout the time. If you try to search for pneumatic cylinders on any search engine, you will come across different results, and each one will give you different types with diverse ways of functioning and purposes.