Precautions when use a pneumatic cylinder - Pneumatic Component Supplier

Blog

Home › Air Cylinders

Air Cylinders

Precautions when use a pneumatic cylinder

Posted by: Admin

What precautions should be observed when use a pneumatic cylinder?

We widely adopt the pneumatic cylinder in various industries. They’re durable, clean, affordable, and fairly easy to install and maintain. They move loads in a variety of ways: pushing, pulling, lifting, lowering, and rotating. And they can handle widely varying payloads. But taking the time to understand how to install a cylinder helps ensure good performance, lower expenses, improve cycle rates, and prolong equipment life. This article will state precautions when use a pneumatic cylinder, that engineers should take into account when they assemble them on your system.

1.Precautions when use a pneumatic cylinder - the working pressure

Before start running your pneumatic cylinder, be sure to read cylinders specific information on the label. The vital important factor is the operating air pressure! Maintain safe air pressure ranges through a pressure regulator is needful. The much higher operating pressure may lead to the damage of the cylinder. Most of the pneumatic cylinder’s operation pressure will not exceed 0.8Mpa(8Bar, 112Psi).

2. Choose The Suitable Control Valve

1. Use a speed controll valve

To adjust the cylinder drive speed, gradually increasing from a low speed to the desired speed setting. The valve will prevent the cylinder stroke out suddenly . Please attention that there is two types speed controllers: one is the exhaust speed controller, another is the air inlet speed controller.

2. Use the appropriate solenoid valve

Normally, we adopt a 2 postion/3 way solenoid valve to control a single acting cylinder. A 2 postion/5 way solenoid valve to control a double acting cylinder. If you want the cylinder stem stop in a certain locating point, 3 postion/5 way solenoid is good choice.

3. Precautions: Never Add Overload To The Pneumatic Cylinder

Add a load outside of its optimal performance range will invariably lead to cylinder failure. When exposed to excessive loads, the pressure acted in the piston will stress the internal components of the cylinder, which in turn causes reduced performance and ultimately premature failure. The other consequence is leading danger to the operator!

4. Precautions: Never Add The Vertical Load To Pneumatic Cylinder.

Pressure applied laterally to the axis of the cylinder creates a number of critical problems that will quickly lead to cylinder failure. When the load is not properly aligned, the rod and tube may be twisted. And damage may be caused due to wear on certain areas, such as the inner tube surface, bushings, rod surface, or seals. For off-center loads, we recommend using in combination with a floating joint, etc., for effective deviation absorption.

Side loading is the most common cause of pneumatic cylinder failure.

7. Hydraulic Speed Stabilizer or Hydraulic Speed Damper

Adopt a hydraulic speed stabilizer or hydraulic speed damper to slow down the object speed. Thus at the stroke end will reduce the impact between the cylinder cap and piston.

8.Precaution–s: If there is a chance that the product will pose a hazard to humans, install a protective cover.

If the moving portion of the product will pose a hazard to humans or will damage machinery or equipment, provide a construction that prevents direct contact with those areas.

9. Precautions: Consider the action of the cylinder in the event of an emergency stop

Devise a safe system so that if a person engages the emergency or if a safety device is tripped during a system malfunction, such as a power outage, the movement of the cylinder will not cause a hazard to humans or damage the equipment.

10. Precautions: Avoid using only cylinders for synchronous operation.

Machines with multiple pneumatic cylinders require that all of the cylinders are properly synchronized in order for the machine to function properly.

In a complex system requiring multiple synchronized cylinders, there are a number of methods to achieve the necessary synchronization, all of which must be managed and maintained.

Even if multiple pneumatic cylinders are initially set to the same speed, their speeds may vary due to changes in operating conditions. Therefore, avoid designs where a single load is moved by synchronizing multiple cylinder operations.

11. Intermediate stops

When an intermediate stopped position is performed with a 3-position closed center type/double check valve type directional control valve, it is difficult to achieve accurate and precise stopped positions due to the compressibility of air.
Furthermore, since valves and cylinders are not guaranteed for zero air leakage, it may not be possible to hold a stopped position for an extended period of time. Please contact us in case it is necessary to hold a stopped position for an extended period of time.

12.Precautions: Consider the action of the cylinder when restarting after an emergency stop.

Devise a safe design so that the restarting of the cylinder will not pose a hazard to humans or damage the equipment.
Install manually controlled equipment for safety when the actuator has to be reset to the starting position.

13. Precautions–When a cylinder is used in a clamping, suspending, or lifting mechanism.

There is a danger of workpieces dropping if there is a decrease of thrust due to a drop in circuit pressure caused by a power outage, etc. Therefore, safety equipment should be installed to prevent damage to machinery and/or human injury.

14. Design the circuitry to prevent the sudden lurching of driven objects.

When a cylinder is driven by an exhaust center type directional control valve or when starting up after residual pressure is exhausted from the circuit, etc., the piston and its driven object will lurch at a high speed if pressure is applied to one side of the cylinder because of the absence of air pressure inside the cylinder. Therefore, select equipment and design circuits to prevent sudden lurching because there is a danger of human injury and/or damage to equipment when this occurs.

15. Preventative Maintenance for Pneumatic Cylinders

Although you can never completely guarantee that a pneumatic cylinder will not fail, there are several things that you can and should do to avert failure. These simple steps, when applied properly and consistently, can significantly reduce downtime:

1. Installation — One of the best ways to ensure the life and function of a pneumatic cylinder is to install it properly. Improper installation, like using the wrong tools, can significantly shorten the cylinder’s life.

2. Cushion— It’s important to design a shock absorber device for the pneumatic cylinder. Therefore will reduce the collision between the piston and caps!

3. Air Speed Controller — We always assemble them on the cylinder’s outlet and inlet. Thier function is to adjust the speed of the cylinder piston.

4. FRL Unit — It’s the combination of a air filter, pressure regulator and lubricator. Thier function is to supply clean, lubricated air with moderate pressure level.

Technical Resources

Support & Tech Advice