Pneumatics News

Interested in trends in the fluid power industry? The National Fluid Power Association can help keep you informed. Twice a year, the organization offers a new version of "NFPA Forecast: U.S. Customer Markets," a report prepared by the Institute for Trend Research. Each report includes commentary on future trends in fluid power markets, as well as long-term forecasts for these markets. The reports also allow integration with NFPA's Electronic Statistical Toolkit, which lets users create customized forecasts. NFPA offers the reports for $250 a year, which it says is significantly less than their actual value.

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The KQG2 series is the next generation of 316 stainless steel one-touch fittings from SMC. With a total of 17 styles in six inch and seven metric tube connection sizes, we've got a connector for most pneumatic and low pressure needs. Get connected with SMC today!

The modular design of the CL Series screw compressors from BOGE allows for individual configuration of your compressed air system. The three main sections of the BOGE screw compressor (electrics and drive, compressor, independent cooling unit) are strategically aligned in the main cooling air flow for maximum efficiency and service life.

In this Design News piece, a supplier of electromechanical devices favorably compares electromechanical actuators to their pneumatic counterparts, noting that the latter consume more energy and are prone to costly air leaks. In addition, the supplier points to studies showing that replacing pneumatic equipment with electromechanical systems can dramatically lower carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power plants. How do you "weigh in" on this issue?

Cylinders in this series conform to DIN/ISO 6431 and ISO 15552. The cylinders offer an aluminum profile, adjustable cushions, sensor grooves, and a magnet for proximity sensors. Other features include stroke lengths up to 2800 mm, six different piston diameters, and a wide operating pressure range. Both double-acting and double-ended piston-rod versions are available.

Thanks to a capable servopneumatic system, the Bionic Handling Assistant can move like an elephant's trunk. Developed for product-handling applications, the robot includes an arm, a hand axis, and a special three-fingered "FinGripper" designed like a fish's tail fin. Proportional directional control valves in the servopneumatic system control flow to the robot's actuators. A video shows the robot in action.

With a special online tool, users can construct manual valve assemblies with proximity-sensing limit switches to meet their needs. The tool lets users build, view, and price the valve assemblies in four steps. After virtual assembly, users see an image of the final product, along with a model number, description, and price. Other available information includes datasheets and installation/operation manuals.

Save 20%-60% on your compressed air electrical energy costs by reducing leakages.

The Festo GFDM energy monitoring package provides a simple, plug-and-play way to measure and continuously monitor flow, pressure, air consumption, and analyze trends of compressed air demands of a machine or application. Learn more.

Powered by efficient pneumatic drives, DFF and DFC pneumatic feeders transfer even the most stubborn materials. The simple design is easy to clean, perfect for food, chemical, or pharmaceutical applications. The drive and suspension components are designed to operate in hazardous or wet environments.

More information about Deca Vibrator.

Designers and operators of compressed air systems may want to check out this Plant Services piece, which looks at ways to boost the efficiency of such systems. Options include the use of receivers and controls, which must be properly configured to be effective. The article includes a discussion of pressure-flow controllers, as well as guidelines for correct installation of the devices.

Dry vacuum pumping can be a good alternative to conventional wet pumping in chemical and pharmaceutical processing. But the use of an all-dry, close-tolerance unit to pump flammable vapors creates safety concerns, according to this HazardEx piece. Therefore, process managers installing dry vacuum pumps for this purpose should take steps such as avoiding explosive atmospheres and eliminating ignition sources.

With a new "deadband" version of the Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat, older buildings can now have different temperature setpoints for heating and cooling rather than a single setpoint, which is common among the pneumatic controls used in most U.S. office buildings. When the temperature is between the two setpoints, there's no heating or cooling, which lowers energy use.

This pilot-operated high-relief regulator can be set to maintain a certain pressure in cylinder applications to keep operating conditions consistent and conducive to high production quality. Designed for high-flow applications, the device can be placed in a hard-to-reach location while its control regulator is installed in a spot easier to access.

Ark-Plas Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of plastic fittings and tubing. Multiple sizes of fittings and tubing for your pneumatic applications are available. All Ark-Plas products are manufactured in the USA. Ark-Plas also has the capability of designing and manufacturing custom tooling to your specs. Visit www.ark-plas.com or email: info@ark-plas.com.

Air is introduced into line "B", which forces the liquid being measured out of the pressure pipe. The pressure created in the pipe (the head pressure) returns to the transducer through line "A", is converted to an electrical signal, and the Digital Tank-O-Meter® displays the corresponding liquid depth or volume.

More from Uehling Instrument Company.

In this video, ISA touts a number of membership benefits, including access to current technical information in publications such as magazines and technical papers. ISA also offers opportunities to network with 29,000 automation professionals in 110 countries. Resources for professional development include three certification programs that demonstrate professional competence in the automation field.

This robot hand consists of a stretchable bag filled with coffee grounds. A robot arm presses the bag down onto the object to be grasped. Then a vacuum is used to suck a small amount of air out of the bag, causing the coffee grounds to tighten their grip on the object. Watch the video to see how well it works.

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