Blog

Deadband in pneumatic cylinders is a nonlinear zone where small input pressure changes produce zero output motion due to static friction forces. This dead zone typically ranges from 5-15% of the total control signal and severely impacts positioning accuracy, causing overshoot, oscillation, and inconsistent cycle times in automated systems.

Tubing compliance refers to the elastic expansion and contraction of pneumatic hoses and tubes under pressure changes, which directly reduces the positioning stiffness of pneumatic cylinders. A typical 10-meter run of 8mm polyurethane tubing can reduce system stiffness by 40-60%, causing position deviations of 2-5mm under varying loads. This compliance effect becomes the dominant factor limiting positioning accuracy in pneumatic systems with long tube runs or high-volume tubing.

PWM control for digital pneumatic valves and cylinders uses rapid on-off switching signals to regulate air flow, pressure, and cylinder speed with exceptional precision. By adjusting the duty cycle—the ratio of “on” time to total cycle time—engineers can achieve variable speed control, energy savings up to 40%, and smoother motion profiles without expensive proportional valves.

Overshoot in pneumatic slides occurs when the carriage travels beyond its target position before settling, while settling time measures how long the system takes to reach and maintain stable positioning within acceptable tolerance. Typical high-speed rodless cylinder systems experience 5-15mm overshoot and 50-200ms settling times, but proper cushioning, pressure optimization, and control strategies can reduce these by 60-80%.

Force control mode regulates the pressure or force output of a smart cylinder to maintain consistent pushing/pulling force regardless of position, ideal for pressing, clamping, and assembly operations. Position control mode focuses on achieving and maintaining precise carriage location along the stroke, perfect for pick-and-place, sorting, and positioning tasks. The choice depends on whether your application prioritizes “how hard” (force) or “where exactly” (position) the cylinder acts.

Differential pressure sensing detects cylinder end-of-stroke positions by monitoring the pressure difference between chamber A and chamber B. When the piston reaches either end, pressure in the active chamber spikes while the exhaust chamber drops to near-atmospheric, creating a distinctive pressure signature that reliably indicates position without any physical switches, magnets, or sensors mounted on the cylinder body.

Dual-loop control strategies use two nested feedback loops to synchronize multiple pneumatic cylinders: an inner velocity loop that controls individual cylinder speed through proportional valve modulation, and an outer position loop that compares cylinder positions and adjusts velocity setpoints to minimize synchronization error. This architecture typically achieves ±0.5mm to ±2mm synchronization accuracy across stroke lengths up to 3 meters, compared to ±10-50mm with basic pneumatic systems.

galvanic corrosion occurs when dissimilar metals in your cylinder assembly create an electrochemical reaction in the presence of moisture, leading to accelerated deterioration of critical components.

Dead volume refers to the compressed air trapped in cylinder end caps, ports, and connecting passages that cannot contribute to useful work but must be pressurized and depressurized with each cycle, directly reducing energy efficiency by requiring additional compressed air without generating proportional force output.