Many industrial applications use
linear motion in their operating sequence. The most cost-effective method of achieving this is using a pneumatic actuator (commonly known as air cylinder). Air cylinders are devices for translating a source of static power into a useful output motion. They simply take energy and convert it into a motion that can be applied in ejecting, clamping, or blocking. Air cylinders use compressed air in a piston to move a load on a predefined linear path. Note that unlike the hydraulic systems, air cylinders only use air to reduce the risk of contaminating the environment. There are a number of air cylinders that you can use with your facility. Some of these include rodless cylinders, diaphragm cylinders, through-rod cylinders, and telescoping cylinders. The most popular air cylinder is designed with a piston and rod that move inside a closed cylinder. This category can be divided further into double acting and single acting air cylinders.