Cylinders & Actuators

At last week’s 2022 Maha Fluid Power Conference at Purdue University, Chris Williamson of Danfoss presented Digital Fluid Power Systems: Challenges, Opportunities and “Critical Mass.” In his talk, he discussed some of the basics and offered his thoughts on the industry’s readiness for digital systems. Let’s start with the idea of critical mass, said Williamson.…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Bearings are mechanical components designed to bear the load from a complimentary part, such as a shaft. Any shaft in fluid power subjected to loads perpendicular to the axis of movement requires a bearing. In most cylinder examples, one-piece bushings are best suited to support loads, offering exceptional surface area…

Festo introduces the rugged, versatile, and economical DSNB actuator for NFPA mounting applications. The DSNB is ideal for sorting, stacking, insertion, loading, lifting, dispensing, clamping, and gate applications on converting machines. Customers can order the DSNB in 7 bore sizes, 11 variations, and 15 different NFPA mounting configurations, offering maximum flexibility and the advantage of […]

Contributed by Troy Sanders  |  National Sales Manager  |  Fabco-Air When your operation calls for a pneumatic actuator, you’ll find a wide range of products available from various manufacturers. But because no two applications are alike, you must weigh several considerations before selecting and ordering an actuator. This article will discuss the different cylinder types […]

This article was updated May 8, 2022 with the solution to this challenge. By Robert J. Sheaf, Contributing Writer Troubleshooting Challenge is a new regular column in which Sheaf will highlight a situation where he was called to consult on a malfunctioning system or machine, provide a circuit to highlight the machine’s functions and ask…

End Lock pneumatic cylinders from Camozzi Automation are fitted with automatic mechanical end stroke locks which guarantee the safe and secure holding of the cylinder rod in both the fully retracted and fully extended positions. The locks activate and release automatically, without the need for external signals or commands and cylinders Series 63 comply with […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Drift is the unintentional movement of a cylinder when it’s meant to be held in place by directional, PO check or counterbalance valves. The objective of many cylinder applications is to move a load to a predetermined position and maintain that position for various lengths of time. For example, a…

By Frances Richards, contributor Pneumatic cylinders are a clean and cost-effective option for achieving reliable linear motion in many industrial environments. Because they are lighter weight and lower maintenance than their hydraulic and electric counterparts, they are an excellent choice in applications from factory automation and transportation to packaging and life sciences. Two main styles […]

The Hydraulic Infinite Linear Actuator offers a new way to generate mechanical linear motion. Contributed by Magnus Landberg, Landberg Solutions AB and Magnus Sethson, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden In the forestry industry, robust and power-dense hydraulics have long played an important role in successful and cost-effective operations. Today, there is also a trend towards larger timber […]

Bosch Rexroth’s new Subsea Clamping Cylinder protects valuable offshore systems against premature wear, without requiring diving work or a power supply. The device takes into account the complete life cycle of riser systems, whether for transport and storage on the seabed, commissioning and reliable use, or removal and reuse. The Subsea Clamping Cylinder for fully…

By Vicki Burt, Contributor One of the benefits in choosing a compact cylinder is getting effective motion in a small footprint. These short-stroke, low-profile, air cylinders are designed to fit into tight spaces and are available in a variety of mounting options. Pancake cylinders are a trademarked line of compact air cylinders from Fabco-Air Inc. […]

Contributed by Vicki Burt In a rodless air cylinder — also called a rodless slide — motion is transmitted through the body length by an internal piston moving with the cylinder, driven by compressed air. The piston is attached to a shuttle or carriage, which supports the load and moves it in a linear direction […]

The new DSNU-S round cylinder is the latest response from Festo to the need of machine designers for smaller versions of standard components so they can shrink the footprint of their machines or production lines accordingly. The DSNU-S, part of Festo’s core product range of always-in-stock components, is up to 40% slimmer, 35 mm shorter, […]

Contributed by Frances Richards Pneumatic cylinders, also called air cylinders, pneumatic actuators, or pneumatic drives, are relatively simple mechanical devices that use the energy of compressed air and turn it into linear motion. Lightweight and low maintenance, pneumatic cylinders generally operate at lower speeds and less force than their hydraulic or electric counterparts, but are […]

Contributed by Darryl Powell, Doc’s Hydraulic-Pneumatic Training LLC When specifying pneumatic cylinders, you may think that the most important information needed is the bore size and stroke. While these details are certainly important, the application’s requirements are more critical. For example, several questions should be considered: is the cylinder in a wet environment (maybe salt […]

Contributed by James Czegledi, Engineering Manager Quality-built hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders are designed to last for long life, and when installed and maintained properly, cylinders are expected to meet or exceed projected lifecycles. However, misalignment and/or side load on the rod bearing and/or the piston can cause premature damage leading to cylinder failure. Cylinder side…

Far-reaching hydraulics powers a show-stopping display. Contributed by Paolo Leutenegger, General Manager  •  Duplomatic Motion Solutions, Parabiago, Italy  Expo 2020, delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, opens October 1 in Dubai. The world’s fair, set to welcome 190 participating countries with an estimated 25 million visitors from across the globe, aspires to increase awareness about the…

Saltwater can be a challenge for farms as it limits the amount of land used to grow crops and cannot be used for any kind of irrigation. For some farms in Vietnam, this is a serious issue, especially for those between the Cái Bé and Cái Lớn rivers. Rice farms in this area have been…

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor We live in a global village where local preferences seem to matter less, and acceptance of unfamiliar ideas more widespread than ever. Thirty years ago, the idea of metric bolts, nuts, threads or other objects measured in round numbers was cringe-worthy, especially in the manufacturing space. Many found it annoying […]

Milwaukee Cylinder is proud to announce its new patent pending ARC (Automatic Recirculating Cylinder) Technology.  ARC Technology is designed to increase cylinder life by 25% or more and is available on selected rod and bore combinations of the Milwaukee Cylinder H-Series (3000psi) hydraulic family of cylinders. “The problem with traditional cylinders is that, depending on […]

Bosch Rexroth’s new CytroForce, introduced at this week’s Hannover Fair, takes hydraulic linear drives to a whole new level, said company officials. The evolutionary concept manages to squeeze previously bulky structures into a smart compact axis for power, movement and positioning tasks. The out-of-the-box system consisting of flow-optimized standard modules reportedly sets new benchmarks in…

Ortman Fluid Power has added a 3D CAD catalog of configurable NFPA cylinders, built by CADENAS. The new tool provides on-demand access to design NFPA cylinders as well as Ortman’s 101 series cylinders online. This tool empowers customers to find, configure, download, and generate pricing for products directly from the Ortman website. The Spacesaver line is…

Functional safety features in pneumatic machines and systems are critical in reducing the risk of injury without impacting operational efficiency and productivity. Designers of functionally safe pneumatic systems have put in fail-safe mechanisms to detect potentially dangerous conditions and to activate a protective or corrective device, such as a pneumatic rod lock, that will prevent […]

By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor When well cared for, hydraulic cylinders should last decades. So long as they were designed for their application — meaning they perform within the bounds of their environment — there should be no reason for damage or wear outside of regular use. The mount, rod and raw material should have […]

SPX FLOW Hydraulic Technologies has extended its portfolio of hydraulic cylinders with the RGP Series. This innovative cylinder is designed for applications requiring compact, high pressure linear motion. The RGP cylinders excel at lifting bridges, construction projects, and a broad spectrum of low-height requirement industrial applications. “Power Team’s RGP Series of construction pancake cylinders are ideal for…