I never learned about pneumatic devices in college, and I never used them in any type of equipment. But they offer interesting alternatives to hydraulic and electronic devices. In sensitive equipment, the use of clean air eliminates problems from a hydraulic-fluid leak, or a short circuit from a broken wire or faulty connection. Air comes in an endless supply, and it seems fairly simple to route it to just about anywhere we need it. If oxygen could create a problem, pneumatic equipment could use an inert gas.
I have seen rotary and linear-slide positioners and two-jaw pneumatic grippers in pick-and-place equipment used to assemble electronic and electromechanical equipment. Pneumatic devices require maintenance, but they don't burn out. They don't dissipate energy (except from a bit of friction). Pressure regulators and fittings are off-the-shelf items, and designers don't face RFI or EMI issues with air lines. Granted, a pneumatic system requires a compressor or source of pressurized gas, valves (probably electric), and some sort of electronic controller.
Where can engineers learn about pneumatic controls and devices? I looked at the undergraduate course offerings at three engineering universities and found nothing that relates to pneumatics except for courses on the theory of compressible fluids. So it might seem like it's anyone's guess where engineers pick up the knowledge to apply pneumatics.
The National Fluid Power Association Website includes a section titled, "What is pneumatics?" It includes information about pneumatics applications, fundamentals, training, and resources. A link on this page goes to a list of companies that offer training and additional information.
The International Fluid Power Society provides an extensive list of books and certification materials. It also certifies fluid-power technicians and engineers at several levels.
Parker-Hannifin Co. has an extensive training program. Look under "Technology Training."
Matrix Multimedia, a company in the UK, will soon have a pneumatics trainer and educational materials with the brand name Airways. This product line comprises about 100 rugged pneumatic components that mount on a stable aluminum platform. Each component has a label with the corresponding industry-standard pneumatic or electrical symbol. Students take the rugged components, mount them to the platform using plastic "t" bolts, and connect the components with nylon tubing to build working pneumatic circuits. They then use the curriculum provided to carry out experiments in pneumatic and electronic control. Sounds like a cool way to start.
Chuck, The overall precision of pneumatic axes is still a concern, the compressibility of air being one variable, but many applications don't require high precision. When there is a need for balance between cost, flexibility and the need for precise movements in the five to ten micron-range is not required, servo pneumatics can fit into that gap. The technology is working to take the best of both worlds, and combine the flexibility and software control of electromechanical systems with the speeds and feed force advantages inherent with pneumatic axes.
Other areas where the technology fits are handling of hazardous products such as explosives where you can't guarantee the surrounding air is clean and there is a need to operate on a low voltage since a servo pneumatic system can operate on a 24 VDC supply. Another is where there are space constraints in the machine design, and no high position accuracy requirements.
Al, I'm curious about the uptake of servopneumatics. Have engineers been able to get past the issue of the compressibility of air? Mathematically, this is a really intimidating subject, which I think desrves more study at the university level.
There is alot of work being done on the controllability of pneumatics using proportional control and more extensive use of sensors in systems. Plus, servo pneumatics is emerging as a technology that offers the flexibility of multi-position and force control with position and velocity monitoring. Positioning and force tasks are linked and sequenced, reducing PLC I/O requirements and programming complexity. There are still many simpler applications where the price points of pneumatic systems make them competitive with other technology alternatives especially in apps that have used pneumatic solutions in the past.
In the '60's and '70's, fluid logic circuits got quite a bit of press but as far as I know the uses these days are few and far between. Why bother with fluid gates when they're available on a chip as electonic components?
The power source has to be compatible with the application. Hydraulics are usually low speed, high torque, and high power. Pneumatics are usually high speed, low torque, and low power. I have seen many machines with pneumatic cylinder actuators. There are also pneumatic logic elements that can be used to control a process without electrical solenoid valves. My Fluid Power courses included both hydraulics and pneumatics.
Jon, I wonder if there is really an advantage to pneumatics. They do have some of the advantages you cite. On the other hand, they are not, I suspect, as controllable as electrical devices. Many years ago my father, who worked at a government lab, thought that hydralics would take over for many applications. They were making the equivalent of control circuits with hydralics. He even broght home some of the machined plates to show me. Well, that never happened. The controllability of electro-mechanical devices will make them a prime contender for some time to come.
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During a recent meeting with engineering-school faculty and alumni, Contributing Technical Editor Jon Titus talked about whether colleges should educate generalists or specialists. What do you think?
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