Cylinders & Actuators

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor I’ve seen many pneumatic cylinders in my fifteen years in fluid power. From pancake to ISO and from NFPA to compact round line, there are as many types of air cylinders as there are applications for them. With so many cylinders and ways to use them, there are many ways […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Technological advancement is accelerating at an exponential pace. Consider only fifty years ago how hydraulic cylinders were constructed much the same as they are today, yet how much has electronic, information and digital technology surpassed our venerable actuators? Hydraulic cylinders are simple and effective. They are so effective, in fact, […]

Sometimes, a small change can make a big difference. In this case, small means a 1 x 1 in. sticker that holds hydraulic cylinder nameplate information. Milwaukee Cylinder’s new self-adhesive Electronic Service Tag allows customers to download nameplate information, such as the serial number and cylinder properties, and request a seal kit or duplicate cylinder quote with a…

Forest machine manufacturer Ponsse is launching the new HH360 rotator, which lets the harvester head freely rotate 360° without limitations. The harvester head speeds up wood processing, makes the operator’s job easier, and reduces hose failures. The product was developed in close cooperation with hydraulic motor and rotator manufacturer Black Bruin, and Ponsse has exclusive […]

Oilgear will launch its newest SM helical rotary actuators at IFPE in Booth S-80541 next month. SM helical rotary actuators for mobile machinery are designed to replace multiple components and function as a rotating device, mounting structure and bearing, all-in-one. They offer high power density with high drive and holding torque capabilities in a small, compact […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor It would be easy to assume all cylinders fail in the same fashion — that hydraulic cylinders bypass and air cylinders experience bent rods. However, it’s a false assumption because the nature of their operation and intended application differ. Sure, a hydraulic cylinder can bypass but not as easily as […]

Festo launches the Pneumatic Essentials program, an ambitious global undertaking to streamline ordering, ensure fast delivery of guaranteed in-stock pneumatic components, and produce more compact parts for today’s smaller footprint, energy efficient machines. In addition to competitive prices, guaranteed availability, short delivery time, and innovative design, customers are assured of world-renowned Festo quality components that […]

Festo continues to enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to lower engineering and purchasing overhead and bring machines to market faster with the company’s new online 3D CAD Configurator for pneumatic actuators and associated accessories such as fittings, lengths of tubing, and sensors. The tool is intuitive and easy to use. Once the actuator is selected […]

Milwaukee Cylinder announced its new Electronic Service Tag, which comes standard on its H, MH, LH, and A series cylinders and allows smartphones to be used to download cylinder nameplate information and to request a seal kit or duplicate cylinder quote right from the phone. The tag contains both an NFC chip and a printed…

AutomationDirect proudly enters the hydraulic components market with the addition of quality Peninsular hydraulic cylinders to their comprehensive line of automation products. These double-acting cylinders are interchangeable with other popular brands of NFPA hydraulic cylinders, are offered with bore sizes from 1-1/2 to 4 in., stroke lengths up to 24 in., and tapped end caps…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor How long is a piece of string? So what? Did you think you’d get a straight answer on a subject like “what is the best cylinder piston seal?” There is no best piston seal, just like there is no best car (it’s the Mazda Miata, by the way). If you’re […]

Galland Henning Nopak, a manufacturer of hydraulic and pneumatic solutions, custom-designed cylinders, accumulators, and valves, has added an online catalog and CAD model configurator to their site. Built by CADENAS PARTsolutions, the new features include Nopak’s most popular fluid power solutions. The e-catalog and configurator will simplify the design and specification process for engineers by…

Festo adds a new space-optimized product to its line of pneumatic cylinders ‒ the ultra-compact ADN-S – for performing small movements in tight quarters and, in so doing, helping machine designers keep their projects as space-efficient as possible. Festo took the ISO standard ADN double-acting cylinder and shrank the housing length to create a significantly […]

A scrap processing company has a large rotating drum that pushes scrap aluminum components into rotating hammers to pulverize the scrap parts into small pieces. They then press the scrap into large bales for easy shipping. The attached circuit is one of the hydraulic systems that runs three functions on the machine. They had problems…

Jacking and equalizing cylinders on NASA’s crawler transporter hold steady the massive launch vehicle. Contributed by Ingo Rühlicke, Head of Project and Export Depts., Walter Hunger GmbH and Co Kg Artemis I is the inaugural moon rocket mission in a program that aims to one day return astronauts to the lunar surface. Perhaps unnoticed, but…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Pneumatic actuators take advantage of compressed air to provide your machine with quick and powerful actuation of nearly infinite possible functions. Pneumatic actuators may take the form of cylinders, motors, slides, grippers and rotary actuators, each of which receives pressurized and compressed air to create linear or rotational force. The […]

Pitch controls and pitch drives in wind turbines are used to reliably adjust the blade angle to the wind. They also guarantee the best possible energy yield from wind power and must work reliably over the entire service life of the plant. Current development trends show a continuous increase in pitch activity. At the same…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Rotary actuators are devices used to transmit torque through a limited rotational arc. Rather than pneumatic motors, which rotate continuously, pneumatic rotary actuators move a load through a limited range of motion. Some actuators rotate through two discrete positions, while others are capable of positioning at any angle around the […]

This article was updated on November 10 with the solution to this challenge. By Robert J. Sheaf, Contributing Editor The advantage of using load-sense pumps is that they greatly reduce the pressure drop across flow control devices resulting in less heat buildup. The attached circuit is a good example of a simple cylinder circuit that…

These tips not only adhere to food safety guidelines, but also serve to improve machine utilization and performance. By Steve Bain, Food and Beverage Industry Segment Manager, Festo Before describing the four pneumatic automation design tips for food and beverage packaging applications, it is a good idea to answer a fundamental question: Why apply pneumatic […]

Last week, ITT’s Compact Automation announced that it has acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The company said that the purchase will expand its offering of air cylinders, as well as linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics, packaging, and automation. For Clippard, the sale was emotional, as…

ITT Inc. has announced it acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of durable, low maintenance, and cost-competitive interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The product lines include stainless steel, brass and aluminum cylinders and volume tanks. These industry-leading components will expand ITT’s Compact Automation product offering of air cylinders, linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics,…

Bosch Rexroth has expanded its range of standardized self-contained actuators by adding the CytroMotion system solution. With the help of the new compact actuator, linear movements involving forces of up to 110 kN can be achieved in a range of machines and systems in smaller spaces, more efficiently and more sustainably. These benefits can be…

Norgren pneumatics expert Dietmar Grün provides a thorough introduction to pneumatic systems, addressing application areas, core components, the critical role of pneumatic air preparation and treatment products and pneumatic actuators and key considerations for selecting pneumatic actuators. Contributed by Dietmar Grün, Product Manager, Motion Control, Actuator, Norgren Pneumatic systems harness the energy generated by the […]

The extreme pressures and volatile environments in oil & gas require all that hydraulics has to offer — precise control and safety at high pressures. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor I love the town of Ithaca in upstate New York. We discovered it years ago in a casual drive in and around the Finger Lakes.…