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BASIC
PNEUMATICS

Nikini Automation Systems (Pvt.) Ltd.

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Overview
• Introduction to pneumatics
• Characteristics and Applications of pneumatics
• Generation and preparation of compressed air
• Components of pneumatic system
– Power components
– Control components
• Symbols and standards in pneumatics
• Development of single actuator circuit systems
• Development of multiple actuator circuit systems
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Introduction
• Pneumatic ?
• Pneuma – Breath in Greek
• Pneumatics is competing with two other
working media
– Electrics
– Hydraulics
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Examples
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Advantages of pneumatic systems
• Availability: available everywhere

• Transport: easily transported in pipelines

• Storage: stored in a reservoir and removed as required

• Temperature: insensitive to temperature fluctuations

• Explosion proof: minimal risk of explosion of fire

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Advantages of pneumatic systems

• Cleanness: Exhaust air is clean.

• Components:
– Simple construction
– Relatively inexpensive

• Speed: Very fast working medium.

• Adjustable: Speed and forces are adjustable

• Overload safe: Can be loaded to the point of stopping

without damage.
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Disadvantages of pneumatic systems
• Preparation:Compressed air requires good preparation.

• Compressibility: Difficult to achieve uniform motions or

constant speeds.

• Force: Most economical at a working pressure of 6-7

bar. This limits the achievable forces.
(20,000-30,000 N)

• Noise level: Exhausting air is loud.

• Cost: Compressed air is a relatively expensive medium.

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Physical Fundamentals
• Force ??
– How Force generated from air ??
• Pressure ??
• Units of pressure
– N/m2 (Newtons per meter squared)
– Pa (Pascal)
– Bar
– psi (Pounds per square inch)
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Physical Fundamentals
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Physical Fundamentals
Characteristics of air
– Boyle’s Law p.V= Constant
– Charles's Law V/T= Constant
– General Gas Equation p.V/T= Constant
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Standard Pneumatic System

Cylinder

Valve

Service Unit
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Control chain
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Symbols used in energy conversion
& preparation
Supply
Air receiver and
Compressor
T junction

Service equipment
Water separator
Filter

Lubricator Pressure
regulator
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Symbols used in energy conversion
& preparation
Pressure source

Air service unit

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Compressed air Service Unit
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Function of Service Unit
• Basic Components
– Pressure Regulator
– Pressure gauge
– Dust filter
– Condensate Drain
– Lubricator
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Service Unit
Pressure Regulator
0.5-7 bar or 0.5-12 bar

Pressure gauge
0-16 bar

Dust filter
40 µm or 5µm
Lubricator
Festo Special Oil
Shell Tellus Oil DO32
Condensate Drain BP Energol HLP 32
Manual or Automatic
ARAL Vitam GF32
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Water separator Pressure regulator

& Air filter Air Lubricator
& Pressure gauge
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Water Separator & Air Filter
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Pressure Regulator & Pressure
Gauge
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Lubricator
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Components

Pressure Regulator

Pressure or Vacuum Pressure Regulator Lubricator

gauges Condensate Separator & Water Separator
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Other equipments
Fine filter:
1 µm
Micro Filter:
0.01 µm

Precision Pressure Regulator

Control Range:
0.05-0.7 bar
Adsorption Dryer
0.05-2.5 bar
Fine & Micro Filters Pressure dew point: -40 0C
0.05-4 bar
0.1-10 bar
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Additional options
Branching module

Pressure
Lockable 3/2 Sensor
way on-off
valve

Safety soft
start-up

Solenoid 3/2
way on-off
valve
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Air Distribution
• In order to ensure reliable and trouble-free air
distribution, a number of points must be observed.
– correct sizing of the pipe system
– but also the pipe material
– flow resistance
– pipe layout
– maintenance
• Then, it supplied by a central line to various drives
and components.
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Air Distribution
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Air Distribution
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Pneumatic Actuators
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Pneumatic actuators

Linear motion Rotary motion

Single acting Cylinder Double acting cylinder Rotary Module Air motor

- pushing - with/o end cushioning - Vane type - Piston type

- pulling - with/o sensing - Racket/pinion type - Sliding vane type
- with/o sensing - special designs
- special designs
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Linear Actuators
Single Acting cylinder

Double Acting cylinder

Double Acting cylinder with

double ended piston rod
Double Acting cylinder with non adjustable
cushioning in one direction
Double Acting cylinder with single adjustable
cushioning in one direction
Double Acting cylinder adjustable
cushioning in both direction

Symbols for Linear Actuators

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Single Acting Cylinders
• A single acting cylinder is a linear actuator
• Produces work in only one direction.
• The piston is returned to the initial position by a spring.
• This actuator is used in applications such as clamping,
stamping, ejecting, lifting, or feeding
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Double Acting Cylinder
• Double acting cylinders are linear actuators that produce
work in two directions.
• The major difference being that the return spring is not
used.
• The piston and piston rod are returned to their initial
position (retracted) by air pressure.
• A second inlet port is required on the piston rod side.
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Cylinder Seals
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Cylinder Seals
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Cylinder Mounting
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Rotary Actuators
• Devices which transform pneumatic energy into
mechanical rotary motion, with the possibility of
continuous motion.
• They are categorized into the groups of piston motors,
sliding vane motors, gear motors and turbines.
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Symbols of Rotary Actuators

Air motor, Rotation in one direction, Fixed

capacity

Air motor, Rotation in one direction,

Variable capacity

Air motor, Rotation in both directions,

Variable capacity

Rotary actuator limited travel rotation in

both directions
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Rotary Cylinder
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Air Motor
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Semi-rotary actuators
• The rotary actuator is compact with high torque ratings.
• The force is transmitted to the drive shaft by a rotary vane.
• The range of angular movement is adjustable with end
stops. The angle can be adjusted between 0 º and 180 º.
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Semi-rotary actuator
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Bellow cylinders
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Fluid Muscle
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Directional control valves
• Directional control valves control the path of the airflow in
pneumatic or electro-pneumatic control systems.
• The directional control valve controls or blocks supply air
to specific air supply lines, and/or exhaust air to the
surroundings via the exhaust opening.
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Ports & Positions of Directional
Control Valves
Valve Switching Positions are
represented as squares ISO 1219

The number of squares shows how

many switching positions the valve has

Lines indicate flow paths,

arrows shows the direction of flow

Shut off positions are identified in the

boxes by lines drawn at right angles

The connections (inlet and outlet ports) are

shown on the outside of the box
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Identification of Ports
Number According Lettering System Port of Connection
to ISO 5599-3
1 P Pressure Port
Working
2,4 A,B Working lines
Lines
3,5 R,S Exhaust ports

Number According Lettering System Port of Connection

to ISO 5599-3
10 Z Applied signal inhibits flow from port 1
to port 2
Pilot
12 Y,Z Applied signal connects port 1 to port 2
Lines
14 Z Applied signal connects port 1 to port 4

81,91 PZ Auxiliary pilot

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Symbol Development of
Directional Control Valves
Number of Ports
Number of Positions

2 / 2 way directional control valve

3 / 2 way directional control valve

Normally closed

3 / 2 way directional control valve

Normally open
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Number of Ports
Number of Positions

4 / 2 way directional control valve

5 / 2 way directional control valve

5 / 3 way directional control valve

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Actuation types
• The actuation types of directional control valves depend
on the requirements of the application.
– Manual
– Mechanical
– Pneumatic
– Electrical
– Combined
• The option of manual actuation may useful during power
failure
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Actuation types
Manual
General

Pushbutton

Lever operated

Detent Lever operated

Foot pedal
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Actuation types
Mechanical
Plunger

Roller operated

Idler return, roller

Spring return

Spring centered
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Manually, Mechanically
actuated valves
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Manually, Mechanically
actuated valves
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Actuation types
Pneumatic
Direct pneumatic actuation
Indirect pneumatic actuation (Piloted)
Electrical
Single solenoid operation
Double solenoid operation

Combined
Double solenoid and pilot operation with
manual override
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Pneumatic actuated valves
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Solenoid Valves
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Valve Design principles
Various types of directional control valves are available
• Seat valves
– Ball poppet valves
– Poppet valves
• Slide valves
– Longitudinal slide valves
– Longitudinal flat slide valves
– Parallel slide gate valves
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Seat valves
• The flow paths in seat valves are opened or closed by balls,
poppets, slides or cones.
• The valve seats are generally fitted with rubber seals.
• Seat valves are rugged and insensitive to contamination,
have few wearing parts and thus have a long service life.
• They require a relatively high actuating force, however, to
overcome the power of the return spring and air pressure.
• Because of their size, poppet valves are well-suited for
applications requiring high flow rates.
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Slide valves
• The effective seal of a longitudinal slide valve is ensured
either by very tight fit between the piston slide and valve
body, or by the use of o-rings.
• The actuating force of these valves is low, as virtually only
the internal friction of the valve must be overcome.
• The suspended disk principle has the advantage over the
longitudinal principle of relatively short switching travel
slide.
• Lower susceptibility to wear.
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Normally Open- Normally Closed

Normally Closed Normally Open

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Development of pneumatic systems
• Identify the control problem
• Solution to the problem
• Documentation
– Using standard symbols and labeling
• Documentation
– Function diagram
– Circuit diagram
– Description of the operating system
– Technical data on the components
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Life cycle of a pneumatic system
Control
Problem Analysis Design Implementation
Define the objective Develop a Construct, install, test
of the pneumatic solution for the and commission the
system pneumatic system pneumatic system

Evaluation Maintenance Upgrading

Check that the Service and maintain Modify or upgrade the
performance of the the pneumatic system system to meet new
pneumatic system to perform as required requirements
corresponds to the
analysis objective
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Development of pneumatic circuits
• The structure of the circuit diagram should correspond to
the control chain
• Symbols should be used for the circuit diagram
• Larger circuit diagrams, poser supply parts are shown
separately
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Actuating Devices
Outputs
Final control elements
Control signals

Processing elements
Processor signals

Input elements
Input signals

Energy supply
Source

Pneumatic System structure and signal flow

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Development pneumatic circuits
Exercises
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Manifold Mounting
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Silencers
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Connectors
• Quick connectors
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Thread Classification
1. BSP – British Standard Pipe Thread (G1/8, R1/2)
2. NPT- National Pipe Thread G - Parallel
R - Taper
3. Metric Thread (eg. M3, M5, M7, etc)
BSP Appr. Dia. of the Thread/mm
1/8” 10
1/4” 13
3/8” 17
1/2” 21
3/4” 27
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Tube standards
Sizes: (Outer Dia.) Sizes: (Inner Dia.)
[ 3 mm [ 3 mm
[ 4 mm [ 4 mm

[ 6 mm [ 6 mm
[ 8 mm [ 9 mm
[ 10 mm [ 13 mm
[ 12 mm
[ 14 mm
[ 16 mm
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Tubing
• Standard Tubing
– Polyurethane (PUR)
• PUN - high flexibility
• PU - high flexibility
– Polyamide (PA12)
• PAN - high thermal capacity
• PAN - L Food industry
• PAN - VO Flame retardant
• PP – High thermal capacity
– Polyethylene (PE)
• PL - Food industry
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• Spiral Tubing

Tube sizes:
• 4mm
Polyamide • 6mm
• 8mm
• 10mm
• 12mm
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Tube fittings
• Push in fittings