DESIGN GUIDE

ON PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

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PNEUMATIC A Fluid Power World Resource

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PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DESIGN GUIDE

Pneumatic actuators, or cylinders, work to power automated systems,

machines, and processes in industrial, medical, laboratory and other
challenging applications. They provide either rotary or linear force and
motion to move or turn a machine function, or provide the precision and
power for pick-and-place systems.

Their operation is simple — compressed air is forced into a cylinder

housing to move a piston inside. This piston is attached to an outside
machine or device, which converts the energy into use. They are most ▼
commonly manufactured to either NFPA or ISO standards.
MARY GANNON
Editor
In this Design Guide, the editors of Fluid Power World provide tips on
the different styles available, sizing and selection, and special uses in
automation and sensing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
▼

What are pneumatic cylinders?.................................. 2

▼
What are rodless pneumatic cylinders/slides?........... 4 PAUL HENEY
VP, Editorial Director

What are compact pneumatic cylinders?................... 6

How to select a pneumatic actuator:

An engineer’s guide.................................................... 7

How are pneumatic actuators used in

automation applications?............................................ 9

Pneumatic cylinders that talk back........................... 10

Sponsored by:

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What are
pneumatic
cylinders?

M
any industrial applications require linear motion during There are many styles of pneumatic actuators including
their operating sequence. One of the simplest and most diaphragm cylinders, rodless cylinders, telescoping cylinders and
cost effective ways to accomplish this is with a pneumatic through-rod cylinders.
actuator, often referred to as an air cylinder. An actuator is a
device that translates a source of static power into useful output The most popular style of pneumatic actuator consists of a piston
motion. It can also be used to apply a force. Actuators are and rod moving inside a closed cylinder. This actuator style can
typically mechanical devices that take energy and convert it into be sub-divided into two types based on the operating principle:
some kind of motion. That motion can be in any form, such as single acting and double acting.
blocking, clamping, or ejecting.
Single-acting cylinders use one air port to allow compressed air
Pneumatic actuators are mechanical devices that use compressed to enter the cylinder to move the piston to the desired position,
air acting on a piston inside a cylinder to move a load along a as well as an internal spring to return the piston to the “home”
linear path. Unlike their hydraulic alternatives, the operating fluid position when the air pressure is removed.
in a pneumatic actuator is simply air, so leakage doesn’t drip and
Double-acting cylinders have an air port at each end and move
contaminate surrounding areas.
the piston forward and back by alternating the port that receives
the high pressure air.

In a typical application, the actuator body is connected to a

support frame and the end of the rod is connected to a machine
element that is to be moved. An on-off control valve is used to
direct compressed air into the Extended port while opening the
Retract port to atmosphere. The difference in pressure on the
two sides of the piston results in a force equal to the pressure
differential multiplied by the surface area of the piston.

If the load connected to the rod is less than

the resultant force, the piston and rod will
extend and move the machine element.
Reversing the valving and the compressed air
flow will cause the assembly to retract back to
the “home” position.

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 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DESIGN GUIDE
(continued)
What are pneumatic cylinders?

Pneumatic actuators are at the working end of a fluid power Stroke length is determined by the required travel of the machine
system. Upstream of these units, which produce the visible work element driven by the actuator. The final selection criterion is the
of moving a load, are compressors, filters, pressure regulators, cylinder mounting arrangement, and the resulting configuration.
lubricators, on-off control valves and flow controls. Connecting
all of these components together is a network of piping or tubing There are many different configurations available from various
(either rigid or flexible), and fittings. manufacturers. The more common ones include rigid nose or
tail mount, trunnion mount, rear pivot mount and foot mount.
Pressure and flow requirements of the actuators in a system Once the basic actuator size and configuration are known,
must be taken into account when selecting these upstream other options such as end-of-stroke cushions or special seals
system components to ensure desired performance. Undersized should be considered. In some applications, position detection
upstream components can cause a pneumatic actuator to switches are required, typically accomplished with a magnetic
perform poorly, or even make it unable to move its load at all. piston and switches.

There are many factors such as system contamination, corrosion,

PNEUMATIC CYLINDER SELECTION minor leaks and wear that will affect the available air pressure
and flow used to drive the actuator. An actuator and fluid power
system should be sized correctly so as not to waste energy, with
When selecting any air cylinder, it’s important to properly match a margin added to account for minor reductions in pressure and
the cylinder to the application, particularly in terms of required flow due to the factors listed above.
force. The theoretical force available in the actuator is the piston
surface area multiplied by the supplied air pressure. Spring force
must be subtracted from this value for single acting cylinders. The
actual force applied to the load will be 3% to 20% less due to
pressure losses in the system.

When the required piston surface area (A) is known, the bore
diameter (d) can be found by the formula:

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What are
rodless pneumatic
cylinders/slides?
P
neumatic cylinder slides or rodless cylinders, are designed
to provide power and linear motion while supporting a load.
Standalone pneumatic cylinders are suitable for providing
power and motion, but are not designed to provide support
for a load. Many cylinders have no way of holding the position
of the piston rod, due to the rod’s ability to rotate. Pneumatic
cylinder slides provide the load capability and a stable, non-
rotating platform on which to mount tooling or other actuators.
This is especially important when a cylinder is moving in a
horizontal direction where side load is a major issue—common in
automation devices used for picking and placing of parts.

Cylinder slides are popular choices when longer distances of

travel are required, or when the overall length must be minimized
due to space constraints

Typical uses for these slides include conveyor stops, part ejection
and positioning, opening and closing safety doors, gates or
curtains. In many of these applications, the need for side load
The idea of applying a load to a linear actuator is very common
capacity and non-rotating capability is critical.
and there are a number of types of cylinder slides that can be
used for these applications. The first basic style of powered
slide is commonly known as a “thruster” or cantilever type unit.
This type of powered slide is typically powered by a pneumatic
cylinder, which is attached to the body of the slide, or may
be integral to the slide. In either case, the cylinder piston rod
is attached to a tool plate providing power and motion. The
tool plate is supported by a bearing mechanism, and together
they are able to carry any loads that are attached, rather than
transferring the load to the cylinder rod. This type of slide is
designed to carry an overhung load known as a cantilevered load.

The second basic type of cylinder slides is called a saddle slide

or base slide. In this case, the pneumatic cylinder is attached to
a saddle that supports the bearing system on each end of the
slide’s travel. This type of powered slide can be used for longer
travels with less deflection based on the bearing system being
supported on each end. Like the thruster style slide, the saddle
carries the load verses the cylinder’s piston rod.

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 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DESIGN GUIDE
(continued)
What are rodless pneumatic cylinders/slides?

The types of bearing systems can vary on both the thruster slides Life required from the slide. The bearing system selected will
and the saddle slides. The most common type of bearing system have an impact on the expected life of the unit along with the
on cylinder slides uses round shafts with linear bearings. The required speed and payload.
bearings can be precision reciprocating ball bushings or a variety
of composite bushings. The precision ball bushings provide Speed required. The slide speed is a critical component
low friction and more 200 million in. of travel life. Composite including the ability of the slide to handle the kinetic energy as
bushings are typically lower in cost and can be used in harsh the load stops at the end of travel. Cylinder shock pads, cylinder
environments. These have more friction and do not have the life cushions or shock absorbers may be required based on the load
expectancy of the reciprocating ball bushings. and speed of the slide.

Other pneumatic cylinder slides use profile rails with reciprocating Accuracy needed. The amount of deflection will vary based on
ball carriage bearings. The profile rail bearing systems provide the bearing system and the payload being carried. This deflection
long life with minimum deflection. These can be incorporated in will affect the positional accuracy of the slide.
both thruster and saddle type slides.
Many manufacturers of pneumatic cylinder slides provide
There are several considerations when selecting the best type of specification and sizing software to allow the proper selection of
pneumatic cylinder slides. These include: the slide required for various applications.

Load capacity required. The total payload must be calculated in

order to start the selection process.

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What are
compact
pneumatic
cylinders?
C
ompact cylinders have been close center-to-center dimension. Piston
shortened relative to standard bearings, materials, hard anodized bore
pneumatic cylinders. They may take and chrome plated rods can enhance
up to 50% less space than the normal, cylinder capability for unexpected side
while still maintaining the capacity to exert loads and long term durability. Up to
the same force as their larger counterparts. 6-in. strokes can be accomplished with
Important parameters for the proper extruded body material. Other features
selection of a compact cylinder can be may include metric dimensions, extruded
broken up into general, dimensional, sensor mounting, and non-rotating styles.
performance, material, features.

The “Pancake cylinder” was the original SELECTING A COMPACT CYLINDER

compact pneumatic cylinder, invented
by Al Schmidt in 1958, to fill a need for Application data needed for sizing
force in a tight, enclosed space. The basic a compact cylinder and choosing the
intent was to get the most stroke in a short best component:
overall length using common machined • Operating psi, force required
parts and seals. Through the years, this (Force = Pressure x Piston Area)
design has been further developed, • Stroke
with many features and options to • Preferred mounting, foot print
satisfy an extreme variety of customer • Spring return or double acting
applications. This round body cylinder
has a smooth, clean outside diameter for Other items to consider:
ease of machinery cleaning. Even though • Ambient temperature
initially used for strokes less than 1-in., • Media temperature
manufacturing methods have allowed • Environment
increased strokes to as much as 4-in. Non- • Excessive loads other than required
metallic rod bushings and piston bearings axial force
can accommodate extreme or unforeseen • Load guiding (non-rotating)
loads to provide long term durability. requirement

Other compact cylinders vary quite a

bit. They can be square shaped, offer
numerous mounting features and can
be placed with adjacent cylinders at a

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How to select a
pneumatic actuator:
An engineer’s guide

D
riving linear-motion applications with pneumatic actuators
(or air cylinders) is a relatively easy and inexpensive
The pressurized gas travels through pneumatic hoses and is
approach. The actuator technology has existed for more
controlled by valves on the way to the actuator. The air supply
than 50 years, but better piston seals and rod wiper seals (of
itself must be filtered and monitored constantly to keep the
modern materials) make pneumatic actuators more resilient and
system operating efficiently and the various components working
efficient than ever. These seals reduce leakage and withstand
properly. This also helps to ensure long system life.
extreme temperatures to let engineers use the actuators in more
environments. In recent years, the control available within pneumatic systems
(thanks to advanced electronics and componentry) has increased
Likewise, surfaces with permanent lubrication, servo-pneumatic
a great deal. Where once pneumatic systems could not compete
controls, improved corrosion resistance and air-cushioning
with many comparable electronic automation systems, the
features make pneumatic actuators more useful than ever.
technology today is seeing a renaissance of sorts.
To review, pneumatics is the technology of compressed air.
However, in some circles, it’s more fashionable to refer to it as a
type of automation control. Pressurized gas—generally air that PNEUMATIC ACTUATOR OPERATION
may be either of the dry or lubricated type—is used to actuate an
end effector and do work. (More after the jump.) Many industrial applications require linear motion during
their operating sequence. One of the simplest and most cost
End effectors can range from the common cylinder to more effective ways to accomplish this is with a pneumatic actuator,
application-specific devices such as grippers or air springs. Vacuum often referred to as an air cylinder. An actuator is a device that
systems, also in the pneumatic realm, use vacuum generators and translates a source of static power into useful output motion. It
cups to handle delicate operations, such as lifting and moving can also be used to apply a force.
large sheets of glass or delicate objects such as eggs. Pneumatics
is commonly used in industries that include medical, packaging, Actuators are typically mechanical devices that take energy and
material handling, entertainment and even robotics. convert it into some kind of motion. That motion can be in any
form, such as blocking, clamping or ejecting.
By its nature, air is easily compressible, and so pneumatic
systems tend to absorb excessive shock, a feature useful in some Pneumatic actuators are mechanical devices that use
applications. Most pneumatic systems operate at a pressure compressed air acting on a piston inside a cylinder to move
of about 100 psi, a small fraction of the 3,000 to 5,000 psi that a load along a linear path. Unlike their hydraulic alternatives,
some hydraulic systems see. So, pneumatics are generally used the operating fluid in a pneumatic actuator is simply air, so
when much smaller loads are involved. leakage doesn’t drip and contaminate surrounding areas. There
are many styles of pneumatic actuators, including diaphragm
A pneumatic system generally uses an air compressor to reduce cylinders, rodless cylinders, telescoping cylinders and through-
the volume of the air, thereby increasing the pressure of the gas. rod cylinders.

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 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DESIGN GUIDE
(continued)
How to select a pneumatic actuator: An engineer’s guide

The most popular style of pneumatic actuator consists of a PNEUMATIC CYLINDER SELECTION
piston and rod moving inside a closed cylinder. This actuator
style can be sub-divided into two types based on the operating When selecting any air cylinder, it’s important to properly
principle: single acting and double acting. match the cylinder to the application, particularly in terms of
required force. The theoretical force available in the actuator is
Single-acting cylinders use one air port to let compressed air
the piston surface area multiplied by the supplied air pressure.
enter the cylinder to move the piston to the desired position,
Spring force must be subtracted from this value for single acting
as well as an internal spring to return the piston to the “home”
cylinders. The actual force applied to the load will be 3 to 20%
position when the air pressure is removed.
less due to pressure losses in the system. When the required
Double-acting cylinders have an air port at each end and move piston surface area (A) is known, the bore diameter (d) can be
the piston forward and back by alternating the port that receives found by the formula:
the high pressure air.

Pneumatic actuators are at the working end of a fluid

The required travel of the machine element determines stroke
power system. Upstream of these units, which produce
length driven by the actuator. The final selection criterion is the
the visible work of moving a load, are compressors, cylinder mounting arrangement, and the resulting configuration.
filters, pressure regulators, lubricators, on/off control
valves and flow controls. Connecting all of these There are myriad pneumatic-actuator configurations available
from various manufacturers. The more common ones include
components together is a network of piping or tubing
rigid nose or tail mount, trunnion mount, rear pivot mount and
(either rigid or flexible) and fittings. foot mount. Once the basic actuator size and configuration are
known, other options, such as end-of-stroke cushions or special
seals, should be considered. In some applications, position
In a typical application, the actuator body is connected to a detection switches are required, typically accomplished with a
support frame and the end of the rod is connected to a machine magnetic piston and switches.
element that is to be moved. An on/off control valve is used to
direct compressed air into the extended port while opening the Several factors, such as system contamination, corrosion, minor
retract port to atmosphere. The difference in pressure on the leaks and wear, affect the available air pressure and flow used to
two sides of the piston results in a force equal to the pressure drive the actuator. Engineers should size the actuator and fluid-
differential multiplied by the surface area of the piston. power system so as not to waste energy, with a margin added to
account for minor reductions in pressure and flow.
If the load connected to the rod is less than the resultant force,
the piston and rod will extend and move the machine element.
Reversing the valving and the compressed air flow will cause the
assembly to retract back to the “home” position.

Pressure and flow requirements of the actuators in a system must

be considered when selecting upstream system components to
ensure good performance. Undersized upstream components
can cause a pneumatic actuator to perform poorly, or make it
unable to move its load.

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How are pneumatic actuators
used in automation applications?

P
neumatic actuators come in an array of permutations for automation. Rod and rodless actuators are the
two most common, though rodless are far more common in the U.S. Rodless actuators include bearings to
address moment loads in X. Y, and Z. Tip: Avoid undersized pneumatic actuators for applications by accurately
calculating application force; subtracting piston-rod area; accounting for the energy to overcome friction; and
accounting for unusual application kinematics.

Note that most pneumatic-actuator applications are linear-stroke setups needing two or more position stops. Minimizing
stop times in many pneumatic actuators are done by air cushions. Damping seals are another option. Choosing pneumatic
actuators over electrical options is common in applications that need motion axes to work without electricity — where
sparking poses a problem (as in applications that involve flammable materials for example).

Limitations include lack of total controllability and air consumption, but few actuators outperform pneumatic actuators
in applications that need clean operation, low upfront cost, and high force-speed ratios. Even so, pneumatic actuators
deliver moderate to high load at 120 in./sec or better. Plus advanced pneumatic actuators have wireless valve controls
and sensors for IoT and predictive-maintenance functionality.

ANOTHER VARIATION ON PNEUMATIC

ACTUATION: BLADDERS

Bladder actuators are another form of

pneumatic actuation for short strokes and
constant-force motion. Where appropriate
they outperform other systems. In part
positioning, footed bladder actuators output
consistent lifting force for plates and other
wide and flat loads and workpieces. Another
application is automatic door seals to work as
flood barriers and chamber closures. These
inflatable actuators also work in material-
handling applications. Such actuators can’t
deliver on precision positioning, so only work
where designs are forgiving on that parameter.
They’re also unsuitable for point-source
applications. That said, these actuators are
capable of very accurate force control, and
strokes can reach a couple inches.

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Pneumatic cylinders
that talk back

A
ir cylinders and actuators are renowned for simplicity, Installing sensors on-board an
economy and long-time durability in countless motion- actuator is a reliable and
control applications. The devices typically provide basic proven method which can
linear motion and perform faultlessly and unnoticed for years. be consistently applied
throughout a machine.
Increasingly, however, many newer equipment designs and Many cylinders include
automation systems demand a lot of data — even from T-slots or dovetails that readily accept compatible position
components like air cylinders — to operate precisely as intended switches. Users can also secure sensors with mounting bands or
and quickly pinpoint when something goes wrong. Likewise, adapter brackets.
engineers sometimes need to enhance control to compensate
for widely fluctuating loads or inconsistent system air pressure. Two widely available types of position sensors or switches are
economical mechanical reed switches and Hall-effect sensors. The
That’s because many types of machinery have complex and latter are a reliable option because they have no moving parts
automated sequences and interactions, for instance ensuring and may also include LEDs to indicate operation status and faults,
one cylinder completes its stroke before the subsequent action although they exhibit a small current leakage that could cause
begins. It necessitates monitoring performance to ascertain correct issues in some set-ups. Both types also require the internal piston
operation, and position sensors can perform such functions. to be magnetic in order to engage the switch and close a circuit.

Most cylinders operate to two positions, extended and retracted. Mechanical switches operate like relay contacts. Solid-state
By installing position switches for each case, the control system switches come in PNP (sourcing) and NPN (sinking) varieties,
can be configured to alarm if a cylinder has not reached the which must be selected to match control-system characteristics.
commanded position when expected. It is also possible to add When driving other loads such as relays or lights, engineers must
more switches to indicate intermediate positions. The control evaluate the switching power and current rating.
system can also be programmed to identify any actions that take
longer than expected. This can trigger a warning of a potential It is most common to use normally-open (NO) switches that close
breakdown before a complete failure occurs. when position is sensed, although normally-closed (NC) versions
are sometimes preferred. From an electrical standpoint, it is always
desirable to choose the logic to be failsafe such that if the wiring or
switch fails, the equipment will stop in the safest way possible.

Pneumatic cylinders
that use noncontact
magnetostrictive
sensors can track
piston position along
the entire length
of travel. Image
courtesy of Bimba

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 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DESIGN GUIDE
(continued)
Pneumatic cylinders that talk back

Sometimes a design requires more than just end-of-stroke sensing. In practice, the unit senses position as the piston moves back and
In such cases, engineers can specify cylinders with sensors that forth. And it provides absolute position information. Accuracy,
track piston and rod position along the entire length of travel. the combined effects of non-linearity, repeatability and hysteresis,
These products are ideal for applications that require a high is ± 0.016 in. maximum anywhere along the stroke.
degree of flexibility and adaptability. They’re often recommended
for automated manufacturing processes that require quick Non-contact operation provides many advantages. The
changeover or for mass-customized product assembly. technology is reportedly ideal for applications that involve dirty
or moist environments, rapid oscillation over a small increment of
For example, Bimba Manufacturing, based in University Park, stroke, and vibration. In addition, it is relatively immune to airline
Ill., makes the Position Feedback Cylinder (PFC) that provides contamination. This makes the Non-Contact Position Feedback
continuous position sensing in a lightweight, small bore air Cylinder a preferred option in many closed-loop pneumatic
cylinder. The PFC contains an internal linear resistive transducer positioning applications.
(LRT) mounted in the cylinder rear head. The LRT probe, which
has a resistive element on one side and a collector strip on the Both The PFC and PFCN can operate with controllers like
other, sits inside the cylinder rod. A wiper assembly is installed in Bimba’s Pneumatic Control System, Digital Panel Meter Model,
the piston. Moving the piston creates an electrical circuit between or Electronic Controller, as well as similar units. And for rotating
the resistive element and collector strip. Resistance in the circuit is applications, Bimba’s Pneu-Turn (PTF) rotary actuator with
proportional to piston position, which is used to produce an analog position feedback is a rotary rack-and-pinion actuator that has a
signal that the controller uses to determine a precise position. rotary potentiometric feedback transducer attached to the output
shaft. It provides continuous shaft position sensing within ±0.5°.
Three factors, resolution, linearity and repeatability, determine
the LRT accuracy. Resolution is stroke sensitive – the longer the Sensing elements are a good value, especially when feedback is
stroke, the less the resolution. It’s typically around 0.002 to 0.003 required for critical applications. Yet it must be noted that for the
in. Linearity, the maximum deviation of the output voltage to a most basic cylinders, the cost to add position switches to both
straight line, is ± 1% of stroke. And mechanical repeatability is ± ends of travel may double the final price of the complete cylinder.
0.001 in. So overall accuracy is on the order of a few hundredths That’s when you consider the added costs due to sizing and
of an inch. selection time, wiring expenses, and controls programming, as
well as additional costs should they eventually fail. Thus, adding
The Position Feedback Cylinder Non-Contact (PFCN) is similar sensors to every cylinder may not be cost efficient or the best use
to the PFC, except it uses a magnetostrictive sensor instead of of project funds.
an LRT. In basic terms, magnetostriction involves a fixed sensing
element, called a waveguide, made of ferromagnetic material The bottom line is that used judicially, cylinder feedback control
that runs the length of the cylinder. A magnet mounted on the and monitoring elements are a valuable addition to innumerable
piston creates a magnetic field. pneumatic systems.

Short current pulses generated by the sensor electronics travel

along a conductor attached to the waveguide. When the
magnetic fields induced by the current and magnet interact, it
generates a torsional strain in the waveguide. This mechanical
wave travels back to a signal converter in the electronics and is
used to determine position — all in a few µsec. It is calibrated to
produce exactly 0 V fully retracted and 10 V fully extended.

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 Pneumatic.
Electric.
Hydraulic.
Vacuum.

Whether it’s a standard off-the-shelf cylinder or a cutting-edge custom assembly, Bimba

is uniquely positioned to help with your motion control application. That means everything
We make
from simple, non-repairable products to the latest in precision mechatronics or end-of-arm
tooling applications. If you’ve got an engineering challenge, Bimba has the solution to keep
things
your application moving forward. From innovative design to unparalleled customer service, MOVE
it’s all about getting you the right solution at the right time.

Find out more

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