Pneumatics, the portion of the fluid power industry which uses compressed air or other gases to transmit power, remain an important method of motion control in many applications.
Some of the advantages offered by pneumatic systems include their quick cycle times, lower initial cost, ease of installation, and ability to absorb shock loads. These have helped make pneumatics a common technology used in factory automation applications for manipulating products. But they are also used in medical and food processing equipment, some mobile equipment, and on-highway trucking for various vehicle functions.
In an interview with Power & Motion, Jon Jensen (no relation to author), CFPPS, CFPECS & CFPAI, Industry Projects Manager – Energy at SMC Corporation of America, said pneumatics are a good choice when you don't need the heavy loads offered by hydraulics but still want high speed and lower total cost of ownership.
While electric alternatives are replacing pneumatics in some of these applications, the incorporation of electronic control is also bringing new opportunities to pneumatics which will aid their longevity. It is helping to make them smarter and more efficient, enabling users to to improve the connectivity and overall efficiency of their own operations.
As noted by Frank Langro, Director - Product Market Management, Pneumatic Automation at Festo North America, in an interview with Power & Motion, incorporation of electronics can enable better troubleshooting by allowing failure points to be found faster.
The ability to detect failures sooner and mitigate unplanned downtime is vital to an operation of any type, and will continue to be an important capability going forward as customers look to improve productivity and efficiency.
Where is Pneumatics Technology Headed?
Pneumatic systems are not going away any time soon, and like any other technology will continue to evolve and adapt to market needs, such as through the offering of more diagnostics capabilities.
More Topical Takeover Weeks to Look Forward To!
In addition to our upcoming Pneumatics Takeover Week, Power & Motion has two more takeover weeks planned for topics we see having a greater impact on the industry:
- Mechatronics - Week of August 5
- Sustainability - Week of October 17.
If you have suggestions for topics you'd like us to cover during either of these weeks, or are interested in providing your expertise on them, reach out to me at [email protected]. Have suggestions for future takeover weeks? We'd love to hear those too!
And if you missed our first takeover week of 2024 on sensors which took place in February, you can download our new ebook which contains all of the articles published that week or visit our Sensors & Software page for those articles and more related to the topic.
As electrification in its various forms continues to progress, hybrid systems will likely become more common to not only meet requirements of a given application but also help maintain the relevance of pneumatics Melissa Childers, Business Development Manager, Motion Systems Group, Pneumatic Division at Parker Hannifin, told Power & Motion.
Given the continued relevance to this fluid power technology and its ongoing evolution, we will be dedicating a full week of new content related to pneumatics the week of April 22, which will include in-depth articles on new technologies and trends as well as video interviews and a webinar offering guidance on improving the efficiency of pneumatic systems.
The week will culminate on April 27 which is National Pneumatics Day — an event founded by SMC Corporation of America to spotlight the many benefits and technological advancements taking place in pneumatics.
READ MORE about National Pneumatics Day in the article "Celebrating All Things Pneumatics."
Have suggestions for more pneumatics related content we can cover in the future, or want to provide your insights on the technology? Feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] or via social media:
X (formerly Twitter): @TechnlgyEditor and @PowerMotionTech
LinkedIn: @SaraJensen and @Power&Motion
Facebook: @PowerMotionTech
About the Author
Sara Jensen
Executive Editor, Power & Motion
Sara Jensen is executive editor of Power & Motion, directing expanded coverage into the modern fluid power space, as well as mechatronic and smart technologies. She has over 15 years of publishing experience. Prior to Power & Motion she spent 11 years with a trade publication for engineers of heavy-duty equipment, the last 3 of which were as the editor and brand lead. Over the course of her time in the B2B industry, Sara has gained an extensive knowledge of various heavy-duty equipment industries — including construction, agriculture, mining and on-road trucks —along with the systems and market trends which impact them such as fluid power and electronic motion control technologies.
You can follow Sara and Power & Motion via the following social media handles:
X (formerly Twitter): @TechnlgyEditor and @PowerMotionTech
LinkedIn: @SaraJensen and @Power&Motion
Facebook: @PowerMotionTech