Pneumatic Circuits

Prepared by
Mrityunjoy Mandal
&
Sk. Lal Mohammed
Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
 Pneumatic circuits
• Pneumatic circuit is a group of components such as
Compressor unit, control valves and actuators, so arranged
that they will perform a useful task.
• Pneumatic circuits are developed through the use of
graphical symbols for all components.
There are different types of pneumatic circuits-
• Pneumatic Circuit for Controlling Single Acting Cylinder
• Pneumatic Circuit for Controlling Double Acting Cylinder
• Speed control circuits
Meter in circuit.
Meter out circuit
Speed control circuit of single acting cylinder.
Speed control circuit of double acting cylinder
• Sequencing circuits
 Pneumatic Circuit for Controlling Single Acting
Cylinder
• Fig. shows a simple pneumatic
circuit diagram of a single acting
cylinder.
• It consists of compressor unit,
FRL unit, manually operated D.C.
valve and a spring return single
acting actuator.
• When the valve is actuated to its
left envelop mode the air from FRL
unit is directed to enter the left side
(blank side) of cylinder and
pressure at the left side of piston
increases and due to this pressure
piston moves from left to right and
piston performs forward stroke.
During this movement piston
spring is compressed.
 Contd.
• When the push-button is
released that means valve is
not in actuated position,
presser port is blocked and
system port is connected
with release port and Air
discharges into atmosphere
through Release port and
silencer.
• As pressure reduces inside
the cylinder spring expands
and piston moves from right
to left that means backward
stroke is performed.
 Pneumatic Circuit for Controlling Double Acting
Cylinder
• Fig. shows a simple pneumatic
circuit diagram of a double acting
cylinder.
• It consists of compressor unit, FRL
unit, manually operated 5/2 D.C.
valve and a double acting actuator.
• When the valve is actuated to its
left envelop mode the air from FRL
unit is directed to enter into the
blank side of cylinder and pressure
at the left side of piston increases
and due to this pressure piston
moves from left to right and piston
performs forward stroke.
• Air of earlier stroke from rod end
side released through valve into
atmosphere.
 Contd.
• When the valve is actuated
to its right envelop mode, the
air from FRL unit is directed
to enter into the rod end side
of cylinder and pressure at
right side of piston increases
and due to this pressure,
piston moves from right to
left and piston performs
backward stroke.
• Air of earlier stroke from
blank end side released
through valve into
atmosphere.
 Meter-in speed control pneumatic circuit:
• Meter in circuit is one type of speed
control circuit.
• It consists of compressor unit, FRL
unit, manually operated D.C. valve,
a flow control valve with check valve.
• A flow control valve with intigral
check valve is placed in the pressure
line such that the air flow rate is
regulated as the air enters into the
blank side of double acting cylinder
to perform forward stroke.
• When the valve is actuated to its left
envelop mode the air from FRL unit
is directed to enter the blank side of
cylinder through flow control valve
where the air flow rate is controlled
to control the speed of forward
stroke of piston in the cylinder.
 Contd.
• The air of earlier stroke from the rod
end side of piston is discharged out
into the atmosphere with a full flow.

• When the valve is actuated to right

envelop mode the air enters the rod
end side of cylinder with full flow and
pressure creates on piston to perform
return stroke quickly.

• The air of earlier stroke from other

side of piston (blank end side)
discharged out freely into the
atmosphere through the check valve.

• During this stroke, the air flow rate is

not controlled so the speed of return
stroke of piston in the cylinder is not
controlled.
 Meter-out speed control pneumatic circuit

• Meter out circuit is one type

of speed control circuit.
• It consists of compressor
unit, FRL unit, manually
operated D.C. valve, a flow
control valve with check
valve.
• A flow control valve with
check valve is placed in the
pressure line such that the air
flow rate is regulated as the
air returns from the rod end
side of double acting cylinder
to perform forward stroke.
 Contd.

• When the valve is actuated in its left

envelop mode, the air from FRL unit
enters into the blank end of cylinder
and creates pressure on the piston
to perform forward stroke.
• The air of earlier stroke from rod
end of cylinder is allowed to pass
through a flow control valve to
regulate the Forward speed of
piston.
• When the valve is actuated to right
envelop mode the air enters the rod
end of cylinder with full flow through
check valve and pressure creates
on piston to perform return stroke
quickly.
 Contd.
• The air of earlier stroke
from other side of
piston (blank side)
discharged with full flow
into the atmosphere.

• During this stroke, the

air flow rate is not
controlled so the speed
of return stroke of
piston in the cylinder is
not controlled.
 Speed Control Circuit of Single Acting Cylinder
• The speed of single acting
actuator is controlled by the help
of flow control valve with check
valve.
• A flow control valve with check
valve is fitted at inlet line in
between actuator and 3/2 DCV.
• When the valve is actuated to its
left envelop mode the air from
FRL unit is directed to enter the
blind side of cylinder through flow
control valve and pressure at the
left side of piston increases and
due to this pressure piston
moves from left to right and
piston performs forward stroke.
During this movement piston
spring is compressed.
 Contd.
• When the push-button is
released that means valve is not
in actuated position, pressure
port is blocked and system port
is connected with release port
and Air discharges from actuator
into atmosphere through check
valve and release port.
• As pressure reduces inside the
cylinder spring expands and
piston moves from right to left
that means backward stroke is
performed.
• As Air released through check
valve so back ward speed is not
controlled.
Speed Control Circuit of Double Acting Cylinder
• Fig shows the pneumatic
circuit to control the speed of
double acting cylinder.
• Here two flow control valves
are placed in the incoming
lines of double acting cylinder.
• The check valve and flow
control valves are placed in
such a manner that the air
flows freely into the cylinder
through the check valve in
both position of a four way
D.C. valve.
 Contd.
• But the air from the cylinder
has to pass only through the
flow control valve in both
position of D.C.Valve.

• Both the forward and return

speed of piston are controlled
by controlling the return air
from the actuator.
 Sequencing circuit
• In sequence circuits,
sequence valves are used to
perform the operations
sequentially.
• Fig. shows the use of two
sequence valve in
pneumatics circuit for
controlling two operations
performed in the sequence in
both directions.
• It consists of compressor
unit, two sequence valves A &
B with check valve, two
double acting cylinders P &
Q, and D.C. valve.
 Contd.
• When the D.C. valve is
actuated in its left envelop
mode, the compressed air
from pneumatic power unit
is directed to enter into the
blank side of cylinder ‘P’
then the piston in the
cylinder P moves forward.
• The air of earlier stroke from
rod end side of cylinder ‘P’
passes from port 4 via
check valve of the sequence
valve ‘B’ to port 2 of the
D.C. valve and exhausted to
the atmosphere.
 Contd.
• After full movement of
piston inside the cylinder ‘P’,
the pressure in line rises
which causes the sequence
valve ‘A’ to open.
• Then the air from
compressor enters the blank
side of cylinder ‘Q’ through
sequence valve ‘A’, which
cause the piston in cylinder
‘Q’ to move completely.
• The air from rod end of
cylinder ‘Q’ is discharged
into the reservoir through
D.C. valve.
 Contd.
• When the D.C. valve is released,
the valve is actuated in its right
envelop mode, the compressed
air from pneumatic power unit is
directed to enter into the rod end
of cylinder ‘Q’ then the piston in
the cylinder Q moves backward.
• As the piston in cylinder ‘Q’
retracts completely, the pressure
in the line is increased.
• As the pressure rises in the line,
the sequence valve ‘B’ is open
and allow the flow of air to enter
into rod end of cylinder ‘P’
through sequence valve ‘B’.
• It causes the piston in cylinder
‘P’ to retracts completely.
 Contd.
• The air from blank end of
cylinder ‘P’ is discharged to the
atmosphere through D.C.
valve.

• Thus the forward and

backward movement of pistons
in both the cylinders are
performed in sequence.
 References

• S.R. Majumdar, Oil Hydraulic System, Principle and Maintenance,

Tata MeGraw Hill.
• S.R. Majumdar, Pneumatics System, Principle and Maintenance,
Tata MeGraw Hill.
• Hydraulic and Pneumatic Controls, K Shanmuga Sundaram, S
Chand and Company Limited.
• Esposito, Fluid power with application, Pearson Publication.
• NPTEL, Lectures on Fluid Power.
• Joji P, Pneumatic Controls, WILEY.
• www.pcpolytechnic.com
 END

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