FEATURE PNEUMATICS & HYDRAULICS


PNEUMATIC ACTUATION takes centre stage


Examples of linear pneumatic actuators. Mini-Cylinder (left) and Profile Cylinder (Right)


With over 50 years industry experience, Camozzi


Automation employs its extensive expertise to help OEMs and end-users improve the speed, efficiency and


reliability of their manufacturing and processing systems. Here, Mark Thompson, technical manager, guides us through the benefits of pneumatic actuation


A


t its most basic level, pneumatic actuation can be split into two categories – linear


and rotary. In linear movement applications especially, pneumatic actuators can deliver high force and speed. In terms of load capability, Camozzi Automation offers up to 320mm bore cylinders which, when operated at 6 bar pressure, generates an impressive 42,582N of thrust. Broadly speaking, pneumatic actuation


tends to be best suited to the simple handling of medium-heavy loads, where extreme accuracies or motion control profiles are not critical. For many industrial pneumatic applications, achieving an accuracy of ±1mm is perfectly acceptable and Camozzi can offer performance within this tolerance. By producing motion and force, the potential


applications for pneumatic actuators are vast, especially if we consider that 95% of industries use some form of compressed air. Typical applications include the opening and closing of doors, the placement and removal of items on conveyor belts, lifting of heavy objects, clamping and stamping, to name but a few.


EASY INSTALLATION Providing straightforward installation and easy maintenance, pneumatic actuators can offer enhanced cost effectiveness. The risk of lengthy and potentially costly downtime is also greatly reduced as pneumatic parts are usually quick and easy to obtain, resulting in speedy repairs and minimal disruption. Camozzi Automation, for example, has the ability to build replacement cylinders at its Midlands base in as little as an hour, with immediate same day despatch to its UK customers. In addition, the ISO standards applicable to


pneumatic cylinders simplifies things even further, making them directly interchangeable due to the alignment of the holes in the mounting brackets.


COST SAVINGS The initial outlay of pneumatic actuation can be


20 MARCH 2021 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS


considerably lower than many alternatives, with some comparable electric actuation solutions costing as much as ten times more. Even when taking into account that this expenditure may be recouped by the lower ongoing running costs of electric alternatives, the economic argument for pneumatic actuation can still be very persuasive.


TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE An ability to withstand extremes of temperature without compromising performance is a big plus for pneumatic actuation. They often operate in extreme environments and have the capability to withstand temperatures from -50˚C up to +150˚C. And, despite being used in challenging environments, the products are still capable of achieving a very long working life.


CLEAN TECHNOLOGY In line with today’s important environmental considerations, pneumatic actuation can be considered a clean technology as the compressed air used is free from harmful chemicals, so there is no threat of possible contamination. This also makes it a suitable, safe solution, for the hygiene sensitive pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors.


EVOLUTION Pneumatic actuation is not a new technology, but it continues to constantly evolve, offering new features to meet the ever-widening demands of today’s design engineers. As a result, Camozzi offers several variants on standard versions of cylinders, including brass scraper seals to keep the piston rod clean and free from the build up of ice, resin, cement, clay and other dirt to extend service life and ultimately prevent unnecessary downtime. Other cylinder options that


have been developed to meet the requirements of emerging markets include low friction versions, low temperature


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versions (down to -50°C), versions for food and other frequent washdown applications, and ATEX versions for use in potentially explosive environments. When choosing the best actuation technology


solution, it’s very much ‘horses for courses’, depending on each individual application. However Camozzi’s extensive range of pneumatic actuator solutions – including international standard (ISO), compact, stainless steel, guided, non-standard, rotary and rodless cylinders – has the ability to meet a wide range of design engineer requirements. Pneumatic equipment is also becoming


more technologically advanced with in-valve diagnostics – such as Camozzi’s Industry 4.0 ready CoilVision system – to give real time feedback, uploaded wirelessly to the cloud or downloaded to the users operating system, in order to help prevent any costly downtime by monitoring the health status of the equipment and warning of possible failures before they occur. Pneumatic systems can also offer proportional control devices that allow for an accurate positional control using 0-10 volt or 4-20mA feedback signals, with analogue adjustable pressure and flow control equipment monitoring the chosen position.


Camozzi Automation www.camozzi.co.uk


Linear pneumatic actuators being used in a fully automated production line


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