A 360° Degree Look at Pneumatics

Transcription

A 360° Degree Look
at Pneumatics
Technology Roundup
Sponsored by
CONTENTS
3 Bionic Man Shows what’s Humanly Possible
with Artificial Medical Technology
8 Enter the Scary Door... If You Dare!
11 Clippard’s New DV Valve High Flow in a
Miniature Package!
15 Pneumatic-Based Trash Disposal System
Eyed in NYC
18 Energy-Efficient Actuation
28 The Many Faces of Manufacturing Efficiency
31 Clippard Instrument Laboratory has been
Providing Quality Miniature Pneumatic
Products for Over 60 Years
2

Page 13
36 Air Guitar Retuned by Clippard’s
Pneumatics
38 Pneumatics in Small Medical Devices
45 Energy Efficiency Depends on the
Application
DesignNews  Technology Roundup  A 360° Degree Look at Pneumatics
Sponsored by
Bionic Man Shows
what’s Humanly Possible with
Artificial Medical Technology
Elizabeth Montalbano, December 10, 2013
I
n the 1970s, the popular television series
based robotics company has overseen the
the Six-Million-Dollar Man featured a
development of a Bionic Man in its own right,
man who had been severely injured and
on a bit of a tighter budget.
then rebuilt with technology, giving him
super-human powers he didn’t previously
possess. Fast forward to 2013, and a London-
The goal of the million-dollar Bionic Man
-- the brainchild of London-based television
production company Darlow Smithson
The Bionic Man -- an idea spawned by TV production company
Darlow Smithson Productions and built by Shadow Robot Company,
both in London -- is the product of an effort to recreate as human a
machine as possible out of artificial body parts.
(Source: The Smithsonian Channel)
3

Sponsored by
Productions and built by Shadow
knew how much of a human body
program about the making of the
Robot -- was to showcase the cutting
was replaceable. The goal was to build
Bionic Man in February 2013. The
edge in medical prosthetics and artifi-
something that would show what
Smithsonian Channel in the US also
cial technology to create as close to a
these parts did and how much of a
was keen on the idea, and is currently
living, breathing human as possible,
human is within the capacity of medi-
airing the Incredible Bionic Man
James Pope, an assistant producer at
cine to replicate and replace.
program on television and on its
Darlow Smithson, told Design News.
“The idea was that by bringing it all
Roots in television
at the Smithsonian Institute in Wash-
together, these advanced parts, it was
The origin of the Bionic Man came as
ington this month, and there are plans
mankind’s best shot of building one of
early as 2010, when Darlow Smithson
for distribution to television stations in
its own and getting close to actually
pitched a program about the latest and
Europe as well, according to Pope.
building a human being,” he said.
greatest in prosthetic and artificial body
parts -- which seemed to be all over the
The sum of its parts
the bleeding edge of medical prosthetics
news at the time -- to Channel 4 in the
The Bionic Man, which has been given
and artificial parts, Rich Walker, manag-
UK, Pope said. The channel liked the
the moniker “Frank” -- short for “Fran-
ing director for Shadow Robot, told us:
idea, and Pope -- who wasn’t part of the
kenstein” -- by its creators, includes 18
Really the idea was to be able to
company at the time -- was brought on
unique prosthetics and artificial parts
due to a minor background in science.
from more than a dozen companies,
It also was meant to be a showcase for
show what is now possible. When we
started doing the project no one really
4

website. The robot itself is on display
Ultimately, Channel 4 aired a
including skull, eyes, ears, trachea,
Sponsored by
heart, arms, legs, ankles, and knees.
bodies into a machine did pose a bit
of the skin and are designed to pick
All of the parts are cutting edge and
of a challenge for the Bionic Man’s
up muscle signal, Karen Hakenson,
as close to the real human body parts
designers, Pope said, particularly in
a communications representative
as possible at the moment in the
making connections from the parts
from Touch Bionics, told us. However,
medical industry. The robot’s heart,
to a body that didn’t have the usual
because it was designed to work
for example -- the Total Artificial Heart
human chemical or structural make-up.
with human nerves, all of this func-
from SynCardia Systems -- is capable
“I suppose the biggest challenge was
tionality initially was useless on the
of pumping 2.5 gallons of blood per
trying to understand how parts that
Bionic Man, she said. “The hand was
minute and can be used as a viable
were designed to work with the human
designed to take a nerve signal from
replacement for a human heart, said
body could actually work together,” he
the human body, but of course we
Don Isaacs, vice president of commu-
said. An example of this difficulty came
didn’t have a nerve signal,” she said.
nication at SynCardia. “It replaces
when designers were hooking up the
“We had to build electronics to fake
the exact same components in a
prosthetic hand -- the iLimb from Touch
a nerve so the hand could respond to
heart transplant -- the left and right
Bionics -- to the robot.
the signal it was expecting.”
ventricles and four valves,” he told us.
bionic hand currently available, with
were from manufacturers, however.
human heart.”
five individually powered, multi-
Some, like the robot’s shoulders,
articulating fingers controlled by elec-
had to be custom built to suit the
trodes that are placed on the surface
design goals of the robot. Shadow
made for otherwise healthy human

Not all the parts on the Bionic Man
“It does exactly the same thing as a
Putting together parts that were
5
The iLimb is the most advanced
Sponsored by
Robot undertook this challenge itself,
the range it needed to move backward
constructing a shoulder out of alumi-
and forward, Walker said. Another
num, a type of plastic called delrin,
part that needed to be custom built
and a series of 3D-printed parts. “We
was the robot’s circulatory system for
needed movement in the shoulder for
moving the fake blood that pumped
reaching out and grasping something,
from the heart.
and there wasn’t a prosthetic shoulder
that could move,” Walker said.
To enable this movement once the
Walker said he and his team realized this was expertise they didn’t
have and was a task better left up to
shoulder was built, the Bionic Man’s
a medical expert. They brought in Dr.
designers used a pneumatic muscle
Alex Seifalian from University College
running on compressed air to mimic
London, who had a more working
a body muscle, giving the shoulder
knowledge of a human body’s circula-
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart was used as the heart for the Bionic Man, pumping blood from each
ventricle through the robot’s artificial circulatory system at 2.5 gallons per minute. The heart -- which is
typically used as a temporary replacement heart for people awaiting heart-transplant surgeries, and then
removed once a viable donor human heart is found -- is capable of all of the functions of a normal human
heart. The company currently is working to certify the heart as a permanent replacement organ.
(Source: SynCardia Systems)
6

Sponsored by
tory system than the robot makers,
human-like features. It can walk
through a combination of both custom
to build the part of the robot that
unaided on its prosthetic legs and
programming and also mimicking
would pump blood from the heart
talk using a triptych of technologies
other people, he said.
to its organs. Seifalian, professor of
-- sophisticated chat bot called Eugene
nanotechnology and regenerative
Goostman from Princeton Artificial
theses from Second Sight and his
medicine, constructed the system with
Intelligence, speech recognition soft-
custom-built shoulder, the Bionic Man
a mixture of plastic piping and arti-
ware, and a text-to-speech generator
could also locate and pick up objects,
ficial blood vessels, Walker said. The
of the same ilk as the one used by
and even pour a drink, Pope said.
completion of the circulatory system
Steven Hawking, according to Pope.
In the end, Shadow Robot’s Walker
gave the Bionic Man the lifeblood and
Because of the speech-recognition
the real-life animation perspective the
technology, the Bionic Man can have
human body can currently be replaced
robot didn’t quite have before. “When
conversations with people, using
by the medical industry. “A lot of
[Seifalian] filled it with artificial blood
the same colorful language humans
this technology is really surprisingly
and turned the heart on, it was a pretty
sometimes use. “He was sometimes
impressive,” he said. “It has come a
spooky moment,” Walker said.
a bit rude and a bit sweary,” Pope
long way in the last 10 or 20 years.”
said. This is likely because the person
7

Thanks to advanced retinal pros-
concluded that about two thirds of a
An infographic on the website of
Almost human
programming the robot used color-
the Smithsonian Channel shows the
Indeed, all of this construction has left
ful language in its conversations with
various artificial parts of the robot and
the Bionic Man with some uncanny
the robot, which learned to speak
describes their functions. 
Sponsored by
Enter the Scary Door... If You Dare!
Cabe Atwell, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software, October 28, 2013
H
alloween is a time when kids and adults
get the opportunity to step outside
themselves and dress up in attire that
would be deemed strange any other
time of the year.
These attractions have sure come a long way
from those back in the ‘80s when I was growing
up. Back then, kids used their imaginations as we
ventured through the local haunted houses, which
were usually erected in a shopping plaza’s parking
lot. These were the kind that were built into
several semi-trailers that were usually connected
together to form several rooms.
8

The Raspberry Pi
& air piston-based
Scary Door.
(Source: Cabe Atwell)
Sponsored by
The rooms were then outfitted with
technology is night and day. The
terrifying glow-in-the-dark ghosts,
pulleys and fishing line have been
rubber serpents and spiders, and a
replaced with pneumatic actuators
host of teenagers made up to look like
that allow finely-detailed monsters
goblins that were going to drag us to
to move. Gone are the simple black
their chamber of horrors.
lights -- they’ve been replaced with
The technology that made up those
attractions is not in the same league
lasers that are able to detect move-
as those found in cities across the US
ment and activate horrific props as
in the 21st century. Most of the tech-
patrons walk by.
nology back then consisted of levers
feature (on a large scale) are
the attraction, as well as required to
using fishing line. Sure, that’s not
controlled by a central hub or
wear an RFID bracelet that not only
so scary, but factor in black lighting
computer system, which controls
lets supervisors know your location,
and strobe lights, and things seemed
everything from haunting sounds
but are also used to trigger some of
pretty frightening, especially being 12
to incredibly realistic animatronic
the displays themselves. Technology
to 14 years of age.
displays. For some of the bigger
isn’t just centered on large attractions
venues, fans are required to sign
alone -- home-brew haunted houses
waivers as they proceed through
are taking advantage of it as well.
dollar haunts, and the difference in

All the technology these places
and pulleys that would move objects
Fast-forward to today’s multi-million
9
IR (infrared) sensors and precision
Sponsored by
My Scary Door project is a prime
scariness by triggering a Seco-Larm
scaring people is big business, as
example of how new technology
Enforcer break-beam device situated
the revenue generated each year for
is being implemented in at-home
several yards before getting to the
these haunted attractions can easily
attractions. The door was designed
door itself. Controlling the show are
be in the billions. This creates healthy
using a 24-inch monitor that displays
two Raspberry Pi SBCs, with one for
competition for those who design
Halloween-themed videos embedded
controlling the video output and the
such attractions to be the scariest
in a creepy sheet-metal laden door.
other, combined with a PiFace, for
in the nation. It’s most assured that
Outfitted behind the door is a system
implementing the relays that fire the
as technology advances, so will our
of pistons and solenoid valves that
pistons. C and C++ code bind every-
fears, which seem to grow as Hallow-
strike the sheet metal in time with
thing together for a technology-based
een draws near and we venture
the video being displayed to create
haunted device that is capable of
through the “Scary Door”!
the simulation that someone (or
scaring the most reserved children
something) is beating on the door.
looking to get their Halloween candy.
Trick-or-treaters engage the door’s
10

It’s easy to understand why
Want to build your own Scary Door?
Find all the parts/build instructions
here. 
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
Clippard’s New DV Valve High Flow
in a Miniature Package!
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc., Manufacturers of Pneumatic & Electronic Control Devices
C
11

lippard’s entry
installed applications in
New Design Challenges
into the miniature
a multitude of industries.
According to Dave McBreen,
electronic valve
Since the initial introduction,
the DV valve project design
market began in
several new series have been
engineer at Clippard, the all
1973, when Leonard
added to the line, including;
new design began with the
Clippard, founder, introduced
Corrosion-Resistant, Oxygen
coil. “It’s not that we designed
the EV line of valves
Clean, Analytical, ECN, EVN,
the valve around the coil”,
which utilized only one
ETN, Proportional Control,
said Dave, “but we knew our
moving part, the “spider”.
Intrinsically Safe, EM and
design parameters called for
Today, the EV valve is still
ES series, all utilizing the
the coil to be less than 2.0
serving a very horizontal
“spider” design. Enter the
watts, so we began there.
market with thousands of
New DV Valve.
The 2.0 watts would allow
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
us to see what kind of magnetic pull
the challenge. Included in this thought
we could generate”. Dave goes on
process was the concern with size limita-
to say that many coils were made in
tions; the valve needed to be small. Yet,
designed from stainless
the attempt to optimize one. This led
he had other criteria to consider, includ-
steel, is capable of flows to 100
to an optimized solenoid needed for
ing; power, flow, pressure and materials.
1/min at 100 psig. Although this is a
the valve. The process for determin-

The all new spider,
new spider design, compared to the
ing the correct coil was enhanced by
beginning called for all metal parts to
existing EV line, it is still a poppet
a coil calculator. The calculator, which
be stainless steel with the nozzle and
valve. With a preload of approxi-
was designed by Clippard’s engineer-
bobbin utilizing certain plastics that
mately 0.017”, stroke up to 0.018”,
ing department, greatly reduced the
would allow for FDA approval. The all
and response time of 10-15 millisec-
design time and provided the exact
stainless housing provides many envi-
onds, the DV Series can be utilized
specifications of the coil.
ronmental advantages and is manu-
in many applications. And, with the
factured in three parts. Dave is very
over-molded seal, the DV Series will
felt as though his biggest challenge was
enthused about the three-part design
continue the high standard set by the
to consider the manufacturing processes
and just what a “robust package” it
industry leading EV line for leak-free
needed to get the product out the door.
delivers. “It can be taken apart and
operation, which is particularly mean-
How to get a cost-effective, optimized
put back together in seconds, said
ingful for analytical applications.
design through manufacturing and
McBreen. One of the main reasons
yet be fairly simple to assemble was
for this is that the valve only has one
Once he had the design criteria, Dave
12
The requirement from the very
moving part…the “spider.”
McBreen also noted that, “in addition to being very economical to
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
produce, the straight-forward, robust
design leads to a hassle free assembly. The new valve has another feature
not readily found in other miniature valves: bi-directional flow. It is
designed to serve as a dual flow valve
within a certain pressure range. Applications requiring this feature should
be discussed with Clippard’s technical
staff prior to installation”.
Manufacturing
13

After two years of building prototypes
fold or cartridge style mounts, and
ing options, helps to enable customer
and testing (using FEA stress analysis
voltages in 12 and 24 VDC. Air and
special applications.
on the spider and magnetic analysis
other compatible gases are the recom-
The DV line is assembled in Clip-
software for the valve) it is now being
mended media with the standard seal
pard’s Fairfield, Ohio plant along with
marketed, according to McBreen.
but other seals are available for use
the EV line and other Minimatic® elec-
Initially the product is offered with an
with other medias. Simply by chang-
tronic valves where, according to Steve
orifice of 0.052” or 0.070”, with mani-
ing the coil, nozzle orifice, or mount-
Schutte, Plant Manager, “all work cells
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
and personnel are prepared for a very
medical field. Although there are
other applications requiring analysis.
positive response to this new product.
numerous applications within the
He noted the valves would be used
The ability to produce thousands of
medical industry, none will be more
throughout the packaging industry,
valves per week is due in no small part
applicable for this valve than blood
especially where small banks of mani-
to the straightforward design, which
pressure cuffs. Additionally, applica-
fold mounted valves would be needed.
means a straightforward assembly.
tions requiring some sort of pressure
In addition, an automatic tester is in
monitoring, pulse monitoring of the
Future Development
place which ensures 100% of the valves
heart or perhaps oxygen therapy have
So, what’s ahead for the DV valve?
go through the testing process”. He
a great amount of potential. With its
According to John Campbell, Presi-
also noted the testing equipment was
high flow capability, respirator applica-
dent, “this is one of the new genera-
designed and built by Clippard.
tions will definitely be one of the most
tional valves and we believe it will
common uses. Other applications in
contribute to the success of the
Application Potential
the medical field would include ventila-
company for a long time. From this
Now that the design and manufactur-
tor and kidney dialysis machines”.
basic design we expect to be success-
ing processes have been finalized,
14

Yes, medical is a primary market,
ful from the start; we’ll be growing into
where will the valve be used? Accord-
according to Rob, but there are many
many other products as we continue to
ing to Rob Clippard, vice president
other applications and markets, includ-
invest in engineering and continue to
sales & marketing at Clippard, “one
ing gas chromatography, liquid chro-
believe in new product development
of the key applications will be in the
matography-mass spectrometry, and
as the key to our future”. 
Sponsored by
Pneumatic-Based Trash
Disposal System Eyed in NYC
Elizabeth Montalbano, Contributing Writer, October 21, 2013
R
esearchers in New York City
city, eliminating the bag-and-truck-
planning for the New York City Depart-
are studying the idea of
based system the city uses now. The
ment of Sanitation, told Design News.
creating a pneumatic-tube-
idea was covered in a feasibility study
There are also hundreds of pneumatic
based trash disposal system
researchers at the organization put
tube-based waste disposal systems
that will transport waste out
together.
in other parts of the world, including
of the city through a system of tubes.
The proposal by researchers at the
15

New York City already has such a
the Spanish cities of Barcelona and
pneumatic tube-based system on
Seville, Paris, and the Wembley part of
University Transportation Research
Roosevelt Island, a planned commu-
London, said Miller, who co-authored
Center (UTRC) at the City University
nity in the East River that opened
the feasibility study.
of New York envisions a series of
in 1975, Benjamin Miller, a senior
tubes, both underground and above
research fellow for freight programs at
in New York would be in two places.
ground, to take solid waste out of the
the UTRC and former director of policy
One would be to install the tube
The initial locations for the system
Sponsored by
along part of the under-construction
Second Avenue subway line between
92nd and 96th streets, while the other
would be an installation as part of
The system would be a series
of small systems about a mile
or so long and then you snap
them all together like Legos
the supporting framework of the High
The waste is dropped into a reservoir at the bottom of the inlet that is
connected to a pneumatically powered
would be a series of small systems
trunk tube with a fan that pulls air at
west side in the Chelsea neighbor-
about a mile or so long and then you
a speed of 60 miles per hour, Miller
hood. The Second Avenue section
snap them all together like Legos,” he
explained. When the reservoir is full,
would service buildings in that area,
told us. “To build it all at once would
a valve is opened from a control point
while the High Line section of the
be like building sewers if New York
at a central terminal and suctions the
system would remove waste from
never had them, which would cost
waste into the terminal for separation
the park itself as well as the Chelsea
hundreds of billions of dollars.”
and eventual disposal through a large
hundreds of businesses, Miller told us.

organic waste, and household refuse.
Line, an elevated city park on the city’s
Market building, which is home to
16
different types of recyclable material,
Mechanically, the system works like
container that is picked up by a truck
this: People in a building or on the
and deposited at a landfill or other
The idea is to install the system
street in a certain area deposit waste in
disposal facility.
incrementally and connect the pipes
various bins, or “inlets,” with a reservoir
like Legos, since installing a system
at the bottom that connect to a pneu-
pneumatic tube would eliminate a
citywide would be cost-prohibitively
matic tube. There will be separate inlets
lot of the pollution, costs, and other
expensive, Miller said. “The system
for different kinds of waste, including
negative aspects of the current waste-
In an urban area like New York, the
Sponsored by
disposal system, Miller said:

proposed would cost about $10
Garbage trucks are an enormous
have concluded the idea is feasible,
million to $11 million to build. The
part of the problem. Moving that stuff
they are looking for a contractor to
Second Avenue system would trans-
is expensive, and there are a lot of
build the system. “It is feasible, opera-
port about 20 tons of waste out of the
problems associated with trucks like
tionally, economically, and there are
city, while the High Line system would
fuel, noise, odors, and traffic conges-
environmental benefits,” he said.
transfer about 10 tons. However, there
tion. This avoids all of those obvious
“Now we need to find someone who
is the possibility to transfer much
economic, environmental, and quality
is willing to agree to do this and pay
more waste, as these targeted areas
of life issues, and makes the overall
the upfront operating costs.”
and amounts were considered for the
system easier to manage.
17
Now that Miller and his colleagues
Each of the branch systems
sake of the study, Miller said. 
Sponsored by
Energy-Efficient Actuation
Hydraulic Cylinder
David Hansen and Michael Foster, Exlar, August 15, 2013
L
inear actuation is an essential
rial handling. Escalating concerns over
technology that has supported
the cost and availability of energy,
manufacturing operations
however, are now causing design-
around the world since the
ers in many other industries such as
beginning of the industrialized
oil and gas, defense, marine, mobile
age. Converting energy into useful
equipment, and entertainment to take
work has been and continues to be an
a fresh look at energy-efficient electro-
enabling, challenging, and costly factor
mechanical actuation technologies to
in manufacturing operations.
replace traditional hydraulic and pneu-
Today, the conversion of raw energy

Reservoir
Filter
Pump
cal factor in industries with a histori-
studies, industrial users consume
cally high content of automation, such
approximately 20 percent of the elec-
Although systems are extremely
power-dense, hydraulic actuators
have the lowest energy conversion
efficiency of the three actuator types.
as automotive, packaging, and mate-
trical power generated in the US, and
(Source: Exlar)
into a controlled linear force is a criti-
18
matic solutions.
Control Valve
Based on US Department of Energy
Sponsored by
40 percent globally. Furthermore,
sible electric power generation and
renewable energy sources like wind
the studies indicate that 40 percent
delivery a critical, potentially limiting
or bio energy. However, alternative
of industrial applications do not use
factor in modern societies. Actuation
energy sources are not yet capable of
energy-efficient technologies, intensi-
system design and implementation is
adding the capacity needed to cover
fying the energy consumption issue.
increasingly affected by these global
all energy needs. The concept scope
Transportation consumes more than
energy trends and shortages. At the
also includes improvements in energy
25 percent of US electrical power.
same time, actuator technology and
efficiency and that all possible resi-
application development is becoming
dential and industrial uses must be
technology has an important role
an increasingly important player in
considered. Studies project a potential
to play in the reduction of energy
the efficient use of energy.
of savings of 10 billion€ per year in
Clearly, energy-efficient actuation
consumption and resulting emissions.
European countries, particularly
German industry.
Germany, have taken a proactive
19

Global competition for resources
stance on energy use by introducing
Current actuator technologies
Competition for energy resources
the Future Energy Concept intended
Current linear actuator technologies
continues to increase among devel-
to address energy resource competi-
include hydraulic, pneumatic, and
oping nations around the globe.
tion, an increasing standard of living
electromechanical systems. Each has a
Growing energy demand and fossil
and overall energy consumption. The
long application history and each has
fuel shortages makes reliable, afford-
concept assumes that progress can be
experienced significant technological
able, and environmentally respon-
achieved through the application of
improvement over time. They differ
Sponsored by
markedly in the areas of precision,
potential work output, system cost,
A
Energy Consumption by Sector in %
energy consumption, maintenance,
0 10 20 30 40 50
emission byproducts, scaling, and
other factors. And while historically
Residential/Commercial
overlooked, Total-Cost-of-Ownership
(TCO) is quickly becoming a major
Industrial
factor in the actuator system buying
decision, primarily due to heightened
Transportation
awareness of the impact that the cost
of energy required for operation has
Electric Power Generation
over the life of the machine. This, obviously, drives bottom line business
decisions. Research has shown that
20

more than 95 percent of TCO can be
Hydraulic actuation
the energy cost to operate an actuator-
Hydraulic actuators use a hydrau-
driven system. Clearly, energy cost
lic pump to supply a regulated flow
estimates can dominate the selection
of fluid (usually oil) to the hydraulic
process for any actuator application.
cylinder to move the piston. The piston
Transportation and industrial energy
usage accounts for almost half of
US energy consumption.
(Source: US Department of Energy)
Sponsored by
stroke serves as the actuator. Because
hydraulic actuators have the lowest
and the fact that hydraulic actuators
the fluids are essentially incompress-
energy conversion efficiency of the
require power and pressure to retain
ible, hydraulic actuators can produce
three actuator types. And, while they
actuator position. This often results
considerable power in a very compact
provide better positioning accuracy
in higher energy consumption, even
package. Hydraulic actuators are often
when compared to a pneumatic actua-
when the application or machine is at
used in applications where very heavy
tor system, matching the precision
rest or holding position.
loads must be moved and/or where
and control offered by electromechani-
high forces must be applied. Off-
cal actuators can be difficult.
highway construction equipment, for

Pneumatic actuators use pressurized
example, relies almost exclusively on
systems is the ongoing maintenance
air or other gas, usually supplied by a
hydraulic actuators.
cost and downtime associated with
compressor, to drive a piston within
maintaining fluid quality and address-
a cylinder. Pneumatic actuators are
mechanically or electrically driven,
ing fluid leaks, not to mention having
ideally suited to moving light loads
hydraulic actuators offer a simple
to deal with the environmental impact
with a quick, repetitive motion. Pneu-
solution in the mobile industry where
from leaks and fluid waste disposal.
matic actuators produce relatively low
an internal combustion engine already
Additional disadvantages include
work forces and do not operate as
exists on the vehicle to provide the
proportionally greater system weight
precisely as hydraulic or electrome-
energy required to drive the pump.
when compared to pneumatic and
chanical actuators. Application exam-
Although extremely power-dense,
electromechanical actuator systems,
ples include nail guns, part ejection,
Because the hydraulic pump can be
21
Another disadvantage with hydraulic
Pneumatic actuation
Sponsored by
clamping, and robotic end effectors.
dry supply of air. Pneumatic systems
a roller screw. This design concept
The internal combustion engine is
are also extremely noisy.
results in an electromechanical actua-
basically a pneumatic actuator.
Electromechanical actuation
hydraulic cylinder to simplify migra-
gies, pneumatic actuators occupy the
Electromechanical actuators convert
tion from one technology to the other,
middle ground in energy conversion
rotary motion to linear force via an
and enables the use of a wide range
efficiency. Pneumatic actuator compo-
electric motor (servo, stepper, DC
of mounting and installation options.
nent costs are typically low. However,
brushed, or induction) driving a
The Exlar Tritex line of actuators inte-
the cost of installing and maintain-
mechanical linkage, such as a roller
grates the motion controller and servo
ing compressed air sources and the
screw. The roller screw converts the
drive into one package for additional
cost of producing compressed air or
motor’s rotary motion into linear
compactness and system simplicity.
gas can add significantly to the TCO
motion. The motor is either directly
of a pneumatic actuator solution. For
coupled to the roller screw by a flex-
several advantages compared to both
example, a ¼-inch diameter air leak
ible coupling or through some type of
hydraulic and pneumatic solutions.
can consume an additional $9,000 per
power transmission, such as timing
Fewer or no components are needed
year in energy costs. And like hydrau-
belts or gears.
between the power source and the
Of the three actuator technolo-
lic systems, pneumatic systems
22

tor with a form factor similar to a
Exlar’s GS Series linear actuators
Electromechanical systems have
actuation component. This allows
require continual maintenance to
take this concept a step further and
much higher energy efficiency when
repair air leaks and to ensure a clean,
integrate a servo motor directly with
compared to hydraulic and pneumatic
Sponsored by
Air (or Gas) Cylinder
technologies. Because the electromechanical actuator power source and
ments, and installation are often
Pneumatic actuators occupy
the middle ground in energy
conversion efficiency, and
pneumatic actuator component
costs are typically low.
simpler than hydraulic or pneumatic
(Source: Exlar)
control components can be enclosed
within the actuator package, the
actuator system profile, space require-
actuator systems. This has a favorable
Compressor
impact on installation time, cost, and
Control Valve
Air Receiver
Dryer
efficiency of the actuator within the
larger mechanical system.
Electromechanical actuator systems
23

provide positioning accuracy and
density with temperature, resulting
non-compressible, and can therefore
repeatability superior to that of
in a significant amount of overshoot
provide acceptable positioning for low
pneumatic and hydraulic systems.
and oscillation and drift over time.
accuracy applications, but line swell-
Pneumatic actuator systems can expe-
For this reason, pneumatic actuators
ing, temperature variation, and other
rience wide pressure variations that
are rarely used for precision position-
factors affect positioning accuracy
result from the inherent compress-
ing applications. Hydraulic actua-
similar to pneumatic systems.
ibility of gases and the change in air
tors rely on fluids that are basically
With no fluid compressibility issues
Sponsored by
to contend with, electromechani-
installation compared to pneumatic
cal actuator systems are inherently
and hydraulic system plumbing.
very stiff and can therefore position
tors. No fluid reservoirs to check
simpler system tuning and synchro-
or filters to replace; No fluid tests,
edly with little or no overshoot or
nization, reducing time to commis-
hoses or seal repairs.
oscillation. Consequently, electrome-
sion the system.
• The physical size of an electric
• Virtually silent operation, making
it easier to comply with health and
very precisely and settle quickly at
system is much smaller than a
the end of the move which shortens
hydraulic system due to the elimi-
cycle time. Electromechanical actua-
nation of hydraulic power packs
control. Electromechanical
tors, therefore, are significantly more
and reservoirs.
actuator precision and control
consistent, predictable, and precise
than either pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, which enhances their
overall efficiency.
Specific electromechanical actuator
• Draws power only when producing
work, unlike hydraulic systems.
• Cleaner, environmentally friendly
and safer operation. No hazard-
safety directives.
• Longer tool life due to better load
reduces stress on machine parts
compared to those driven with
hydraulics.
• Higher cycle rates through faster
ous waste byproduct control or
settling times compared to
advantages include:
disposal; No pressure leak dangers;
hydraulics.
• Ease of installation. Quick connect
No fire risks from flammable oils in
cables require far less time for

to hydraulic and pneumatic actua-
the load very accurately and repeat-
chanical actuators can be controlled
24
• Electromechanical actuators offer
• Less maintenance in comparison
high temperature applications.
• Significantly lower energy
consumption/cost.
Sponsored by
Actuator technology efficiencies
conducted by the University of
As previously stated, up to 95 percent
Kassel (UNI-Kassel), Germany,
of the TCO of an actuator system can
compared hydraulic, pneumatic,
be the direct and indirect consump-
and electromechanical actuation
tion of energy required to operate
systems. The study evaluated each
the actuator. Energy consumption,
system using identical workload
therefore, presents the most signifi-
and duty cycle conditions. The
cant actuator technology differentia-
objective was to determine the
tor with regard to short and long-term
energy required by each actua-
cost implications and a return on
tor system to move a 100 kg load.
investment evaluation.
The energy required for the pneu-
Two major evaluation considerations exist:
a compressor that used 120Wh for
consumption using a factor of 1.6 kWh
• The typical energy consumption of
the compression of one cubic meter
per cubic meter). The energy required
of air), was measured with a calo-
by the electromechanical actuator
rimetric airflow device. The energy
No. 3 (including the control unit),
nology to efficiently deliver work
required for the hydraulic actuator No.
was measured with an electric meter.
energy to dependent systems.
2 was determined by a flow counter
Standard hydraulic and pneumatic
(measured flow, calculated energy
components were used. The electro-
each actuator technology.
• The ability of each actuator tech-
A recent independent study
25

matic actuator No. 1 (powered by
Sponsored by
mechanical actuator was an integrated
Tritex II actuator from Exlar.
The experiment results indicated that
26

• Electric: 816 Kw h/year
Electric Cylinder with Integrated Motor
Estimated CO2 emissions from
the three actuator systems are:
the hydraulic actuator system’s energy
• Hydraulic: 2.3 metric tons/year
conversion efficiency was 57 percent,
• Pneumatic: 5.3 metric tons/year
the pneumatic actuator system’s effi-
• Electric: 525 kg/year
ciency was 77 percent, and the electro-
Comparing all, the electrome-
mechanical actuator system’s efficiency
chanical actuator system produces
was 90 percent efficient.
77 percent less CO2 than the
Power Feedback
The measured consumption of
hydraulic and 90 percent less
energy by each actuator type was
CO2 than the pneumatic. The
multiplied by a factor of 6,000 operat-
study estimated and compared
ing hours per year (typical duty cycle
total yearly energy consumption
within in a factory automation setting).
of each actuator system. All factors
The energy consumption estimates
considered, the hydraulic actua-
for each actuator type based on those
tor system required 4.4 times more
6,000 operating hours year are:
energy than the electromechanical
• Hydraulic: 8,380 Kwh/year
actuator system and the pneumatic
Electromechanical systems offer
a simplified mechanical solution,
and fewer or no components are
needed between the power source
and the actuation component,
which can create much higher
energy efficiency.
• Pneumatic: 3,602 Kw h/year
required 10 times more energy.
(Source: Exlar)
Controller
Sponsored by
27

Electromechanical actuator
efficiency
ties, precision, and higher efficien-
As concern over the cost impact of
cies, electromechanical actuation
energy consumption on the bottom
systems can provide potential energy
as scalability, lower installation, main-
line continues to grow, targeting
savings and benefits over a wide
tenance costs, and higher productivity,
improvements in this area is gaining
range of applications in industrial
the return-on-investment from adopt-
strategic focus. Based on research
and harsh applications. Electrome-
ing or conversion to electromechani-
conducted by Energy Efficiency &
chanical actuators eliminate the need
cal actuation can make a compelling
Technology Magazine, 94 percent of
for supporting sub-systems such as
business case.
respondents to their survey indicated
compressors, pumps, fluid mainte-
David Hansen is marketing manager
more energy saving programs would
nance, etc. to provide not only energy
and Michael Foster is a consultant
be initiated over a two-year period.
efficiency, but also less environmen-
for Exlar. 
With their force handling capabili-
tal impact and potentially lower total
life-cycle cost.
When combining other benefits such
Sponsored by
The Many Faces of
Manufacturing Efficiency
Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor, Automation & Motion Control, November 29, 2013
N
28

orth American plants
reducing energy consumption, to
ing close to home works only if you
are becoming more effi-
improve safety while reducing work
can make sure your processes are
cient. While the term lean
stoppages.
very lean. We’re seeing new progress
manufacturing once had
Gains in manufacturing efficiency
a very specific meaning
and automation means that logistics
at plants like Toyota with its quality
play a larger role in choosing a loca-
Less hardware and more software
circles, now the term has come to
tion for a plant. If your manufacturing
One of the trends we’re seeing in lean
mean any technique that brings
is efficient in Ohio, you will be less
processes is an increase of reliance
efficiency and optimization to the
likely to locate your plant in China.
on software and the trimming down
manufacturing process. This goal is
What you save in cheap overseas
of hardware. “How can you do more
to improve throughput while reduc-
labor will be eaten up by shipping.
with less? If you have more functions
ing waste, to improve uptime while
The idea of keeping your manufactur-
with one controller instead of many
on a wide range of plant processes.
Sponsored by
controllers, you’ll be more efficient,”
Safety and simulation
Graham Harris, president of Beckhoff
Safety has become significantly
Automation, told Design News. “You
more efficient. For one, you can run
can control a machine with three axes
safety on the same wire as control
with one controller. The synchroni-
and power. For another, safety
zation is easier with one controller
breeches don’t have to bring down
because all the data is on one CPU.
the whole plant. “We have safety
That also saves cabinet space.”
in zones now. We have the ability
The savings in hardware can
to just stop the zone when there is
include everything from PCs and
a safety infraction,” Patrick McDer-
controllers to wires. “You have less
mott, regional manager at B&R
hardware and more software now.
Industrial Automation, told Design
that might crash into each other if
That’s efficient,” Harris told us. “You
News. “We don’t have to stop every-
you don’t work out the configuration
have only one cable, while tradition-
thing. We’re going to programmable
ahead of time in software. “Technol-
ally, it was dual cables. So you have
safety.”
ogy also means I’m not rewiring when
less material. Safety is now inte-
29

Simulation has also brought effi-
I make a change. I’m changing the
grated into the same Ethernet bus as
ciency to plant processes. Changes
code instead. It’s configuration, not
the controller. That offers savings in
can now be worked out in simula-
design and rewiring,” said McDermott.
set-up.”
tion before you turn on machines
The simulation means changes can
Sponsored by
be made both accurately and quickly.
all employees,” Jim Coshnitzke, a
“You work on those ideas. But in order
“One factor is time-to-market. Simu-
manager at Clippard, told Design
to get the employees’ ideas, you have
lation allows machine builders to
News. “You get people in production,
to have employee buy-in.”
minimizing time on the machine,”
supervision, and management, and
McDermott told us. “You can spend
you map the current cycle. You model
as saving movement or as large as
your programming time up front. That
it and get input from everyone.”
changing the fundamental manu-
minimizes time on the machine.”
30

“That input from everyone can be
The employee input can be as little
facturing process. “In one instance,
as little as changing the work set-up
we compared batch to process. We
Employee buy-in
to make production movements more
had been doing batch. So we took
Another way to make sure efficiency
efficient. It may not seem like much
all of the employees and took them
really takes hold in a plant is to get
when you save a handful of seconds,
through a Lego exercise,” said Cosh-
employee buy-in. You get the buy-in by
but they can add up to real savings. You
nitzke. “We did batch, and then
involving employees in the efficiency
look at what steps you can change. You
we did flow. We saw a 300-percent
process. “It starts with getting people
rearrange tools to make movements
improvement with flow. Everyone
to understand there is always room
easier. You save 15 minutes. You add it
was involved, so we have the buy-in
for improvement. You have to embrace
up and it saves hours,” said Coshnitzke.
to switch from bath to flow.” 
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
Clippard Instrument Laboratory has been
Providing Quality Miniature Pneumatic
Products for Over 60 Years
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc., Manufacturers of Pneumatic & Electronic Control Devices
History
nents as a new product line. The need
textiles, medical equipment, anima-
William L. Clippard, Jr. founded Clip-
for miniature pneumatics was so
tion, material handling, assembly,
pard Instrument Laboratory in 1941.
widespread, that the Minimatic line
electronics, food processing, packag-
The initial product line consisted of
was successful enough to become
ing and many more.
electrical test equipment, magnetic
Clippard’s primary product line.
windings, and radio frequency coils.
31

Today, Clippard pneumatic control
Milestones
The first miniature fluid power devices
devices are used virtually everywhere
For over 60 years, Clippard innovation
designed and built by Clippard were
for control, interface, sensing, logic,
has led to many industry “firsts,” such
for use in the manufacture of this
and actuation functions. This broad
as the establishment of the #10-32
equipment. In the early 1950’s, Clip-
range of applications spans a variety
thread as a port. Products that Clip-
pard introduced Minimatic® compo-
of industries including machinery,
pard first introduced to the industry
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
include: fluidic amplifiers, unique
plug-in air logic modules, and microprocessor-based computer control
The complete Minimatic
line includes over 5,000
standard products
systems. The complete Minimatic line

the “spider” design.
In May of 2006, Clippard launched
an all-new line of miniature pneu-
includes over 5,000 standard products.
designed for customer’s OEM applica-
matic products, The Maximatic® line.
Some of the many products offered
tions are also available.
Maximatic solenoid valves, air piloted
include valves, cylinders, fittings,
32
Safe, EM and ES series, all utilizing
In 1973, Clippard introduced the
valves, and FRL’s feature maximum
modular components, push buttons,
EV line of miniature electronic valves.
performance and maximum value.
stainless steel cylinders, FRLs elec-
What made this valve so unique was
The valves are available in port sizes
tronic manifold cards, circuit analyz-
that it only had one moving part,
from #10-32 to 1/2” NPT, and FRL’s
ers and pre-piped manifold subplates.
the “spider”. Today, the EV line is
from #10-32 to 1” NPT with various
The latest additions to the Clippard
still serving a very horizontal market
options for users in the packaging
product line include: Jumbo Shuttle
with thousands of installed appli-
industry, assembly, manufacturing
Valves, New Series Needle Valves,
cations in hundreds of industries.
and more.
Minimatic Shuttle Valves, Normally-
Since the initial introduction, several
Open Valves with 1/8 NPT Male Inlets,
new series have been added to the
first 2-way version of the newest line
Pilot Actuated Valves, All Stainless
line, including: Corrosion-Resistant,
of miniature electronic valves—the
Steel Cylinders and Minimatic Air
Oxygen Clean, Analytical, High Flow,
DV series. With low power, compact
Regulators. Special components
Proportional Control, Intrinsically
design, high flow, design flexibility
In May of 2014, Clippard released the
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
and more, these valves utilize a very
manship that has continued through-
and certification services with 15 loca-
different “spider” design, and have
out the years. The high standards set
tions throughout North America.
many new features that offer tremen-
by Leonard Clippard, in company rela-
dous market potential.
tionships with customers, distributors,
requirements that must be in place to
suppliers and employees continue
have a quality management system,
Web
to be upheld. The company motto,
regardless of the organization’s size,
Visit www.clippard.com to find product
“Quality People, Quality Products”,
product or service line, or public or
and industry information including
emphasizes the important role every
private status. Certification to the stan-
specifications, CAD files, literature
employee plays in maintaining the
dard is voluntary, and organizations
downloads, application ideas, instruc-
company’s reputation.
must complete a rigorous auditing
tional/technical videos, helpful calcula-
33

ISO 9001:2008 provides a set of
process by a third-party registrar.
tors, technical assistance, distributor
ISO Certification
information and more.
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. is
Catalog
ISO 9001:2008 certified, an internation-
Clippard offers a full-line catalog that
Quality
ally recognized standard issued to orga-
contains over 5,000 standard products
Quality remains a primary feature of
nizations with a quality management
including photos, technical specifica-
every product Clippard produces. This
system. The certification was authorized
tions, schematics, application and
is achieved through the excellence in
by TÜVRheinland® (TRNA), a premier
ordering information, and more.
manufacturing practices and crafts-
global provider of independent testing
Request catalog.
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
Distribution
Some of the most recent releases
A fully-trained, professional distributor
include:
Offers sleek, compact design, high
network markets and supports Clip-
• EFG Electronic Fill & Bleed Circuits –
flows, low power and competitive
pard products, worldwide. To assure
Compact, robust design with
quality performance, close customer
multiple flow and pressure options.
contact is maintained through a
• EGV High Flow Poppet Valves –
• GNV Series Needle Valves –
Rugged, compact design provides
2- and 3-way, 1/8” NPT ported and
tors, with over 800 pneumatic special-
manifold mount. Utilize Clippard 10
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.
ists. Clippard maintains close ties with
mm and 15 mm valves.
7390 Colerain Avenue
• All Stainless Steel Cylinders –
bidirectional flow control. 
Cincinnati, Ohio 45239
conferences, training seminars and
303 and 304 stainless cylinders
877-245-6247
the complete support of the factory
available in four bore sizes with
www.clippard.com
sales and service team.
standard strokes to 12”.
• GV/GTV Poppet Valves – Small size,
Recent New Product
Announcements
high flow and multiple styles!
• Multi-Check Valves – Efficient mani-
Over the past several months, Clip-
fold mounted design eases assem-
pard has continued to release new,
bly and plumbing!
innovative products to the market.

pricing!
network of over 80 stocking distribu-
these distributors through special
34
• DV Bidirectional Electronic Valves –
® Minimatic is a registered trademark
of Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.
® Maximatic is a registered trademark
of Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.
® TÜVRHEINLAND is a registered
trademark of TÜV Rheinland AG
Sponsored by
SPONSORED CONTENT
Clippard 2-Way High Flow
Stepper-Controlled Needle Valves
Utilizing the industry’s most robust and
powerful linear actuator, this highflow proportional valve features 2%
hysteresis, excellent linearity and a 2 ms
reaction time. A flow range of 0 to 300
slpm is standard, however this product
is highly modifiable.
Clippard EVPD Proportional
Valve Driver
The EVPD Proportional Valve Driver is
an interface device to control Clippard
EVP Proportional Valves with signals
that are typically available from
micro-controllers, PLCs and industrial
computers. It generates a high power
output current to drive the proportional
solenoid valve in response to a low
power proportional command signal.
35

Clippard Launches
Exciting New DV Series
Electronic Valves
Clippard launches exciting new DVSeries bidirectional electronic valves
which offer sleek design, low power,
high flow and more!
Clippard Automated
Acoustic Guitar
Clippard’s Automated Air Guitar is
a pneumatically controlled Ovation.
Created to show our capabilities in
pneumatic control applications. Over 16
songs play during specific trade shows
to let people know about Clippard’s
products, capabilities and creativity.
Sponsored by
Air Guitar Retuned by
Clippard’s Pneumatics
Charles Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test, February 22, 2012
P
neumatic technology is usually
guitar uses a combination of 5/16th-
associated with machine
inch and 5/32-inch air cylinders to
control, but at the Medical
strum its six strings. It also employs a
Design & Manufacturing West
half-inch-diameter cylinder to provide
Conference in Anaheim, Calif.,
an “acoustic thump” for the music.
it was about music.
Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.,
36

“Rob’s musical, and he grew up
with Clippard technology, so he just
a maker of pneumatic components,
combined the two,” says Edward
demonstrated a guitar that employs
Ehrhardt, sales application engineer
62 air cylinders and 62 pneumatic
for Clippard.
valves to play music. The brainchild of
The Air Guitar plays Rob Clip-
company namesake Rob Clippard, the
pard’s own original songs, which
Clippard’s air guitar uses a combination
of 5/16-inch and 5/32-inch air cylinders
to strum its six strings.
A half-inch-diameter cylinder provides
percussion.
(Source: Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.)
Sponsored by
are encoded in MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)
Air Guitar Videos
protocol files. The files are communicated from an iPad to
Here’s a video shot by the author at the MD&M conference:
a microcontroller-based I/O board, which decides which
valves to fire.
At the show, the Air Guitar drew crowds as it played a
running loop of Rob’s music.
The Air Guitar isn’t his first foray into pneumatic music.
He previously designed a 6-foot-diameter “music tree,”
which employed air to play strings, whistles, and cow bells.
The musical tree is now housed at the Cincinnati Museum
of Natural History. 
VIDEO: This video, produced by Clippard, spotlights details of the
guitar’s fretboard:
37

Sponsored by
Pneumatics in Small Medical Devices
Al Presher, Contributing Editor, Automation & Control, January 5, 2011
W
38

ith the design of
wide variety of handheld and portable
medical devices
medical devices.
moving toward
“There is a lack of awareness of how
smaller sizes, a
pervasive the pneumatic solutions are
hospital-to-home
in medical applications,” says Ed Howe,
treatment model and reduced power
president of Enfield Technologies.
consumption, electro-pneumatic device
“Most people don’t realize how much
makers are seizing the opportunity by
pneumatics is used in surgical and
providing more potent, miniaturized
life support equipment. In the artificial
control solutions. By using propor-
heart made by SynCardia, for example,
Rise of Proportional Control
tional control to precisely profile the
basically the whole drive system is
One clear trend is the move to propor-
delivery of air, for example, pneumatic
pneumatic and some of the compo-
tional control and electro-pneumatics
devices are solidifying their position
nents are similar to what is being used
for more precise control solutions.
as a low cost technology ideal for a
in factory automation.”
Howe says that with devices such as
Sponsored by
ventilators or respirators, the operation
tional pneumatic controls is the
hummingbird. This is an example of
and off, pushing a breath in and taking
process of growing cells either for
pneumatics bringing real benefits to
a breath out. But now medical device
biomedical research or transplants
the medical field by doing things that
manufacturers are using pneumatics
such as bone marrow cells. Grown in a
couldn’t be done before. In this case,
to profile the breath provided to the
Petri dish, the yields are very low. But
we are substantially increasing yields.”
patient to be more natural and assist in
researchers discovered that putting
the recovery process.
the cells on a flexible membrane
and pulsing the membrane, stresses
will work with infants through adults,
and pulls the cell. It’s not certain
so that when it’s used in an ambulance,
how growth is encouraged but the
air care helicopter or within a hospital,
obvious theory is that cells recognize
there isn’t a need for two expensive
the motion and, surrounded by other
devices,” says Howe. “The unit uses a
cells, sense it is in a living host.
proportional servo valve with embed-

perfectly replicate the heartbeat of a
of units in the past has been largely on
“We are working on a ventilator that
39
Another application using propor-
“Using a very smooth and fast
ded electronics and software, and it
valve, we are able to replicate the
Growth of Pneumatics
has a very specialized shape to the
heartbeat of the host animal rather
The underlying theme to this transition
orifice and poppet - all together these
than just turning the valve on and
is the use of more proportional pneu-
carefully control the air flow.”
off,” says Howe. “We are even able to
matics and better use of control theory.
Sponsored by
Mechanical elements in the valves are
systems, respirators now
becoming more sophisticated, along
use compressed air in a
with better design tools and mathemat-
small cylinder, or a small
ical modeling. Systems are using more
compressor and valves, to
sensors, electronics and advanced
modulate a system where
controls to manage pneumatic systems
the devices have been
lungs,” says Rob Clip-
and compressed gases, which has
miniaturized.
pard, vice president,
always been the real challenge.
“Pneumatic systems are able to
proportional controls to
vary the pressure as the
ventilator expands the
sales & marketing for
Clippard Instrument Lab.
pressure of a ventilator that is actu-
natural way,” says Howe. “Along with
ally breathing for patients. These more
also being used in automated blood
the air pressure profiling, systems
sophisticated ventilators provide pres-
pressure monitoring devices where
consume less air by only providing
sure control or PEEP (positive end-
a valve both inflates the cuff and
what is needed and lower the wear on
expiratory pressure), which allows the
controls the rate of deflation. The
components, but the big developments
ventilator to be more effective in the
electronic valve is cycling on and
are linked to therapeutic contribution.”
transfer of oxygen into the nodules of
off, and the pressure drops as the
Compared to the past where respi-
the lungs that complete the transfer of
device exhausts the air in the cuff.
oxygen into enriched blood.
Valves used on these more sophis-
bellows and were primarily electric

application is controlling the
tor more effective by using
profile the air and deliver it in a more
rators used large glass tubes with
40
Another proportional valve
device makes the ventila-
“With PEEP, the pressure control
Electro-pneumatic systems are
ticated blood pressure monitoring
Sponsored by
devices not only recognize systolic
to inexpensively add fine pressure
from the wall for the patient to be able
and diastolic pressures, but actually
control at the point where those blood
to move around,” says Randy Rieken,
measure the point at which the blood
vessels are just beginning to open and
sales leader, Americas for Norgren
begins flowing.
blood is beginning to flow.
Life Sciences.
“When the cuff is inflated, the blood
the patient to take the device home.
niquet,” says Clippard. “When the pres-
Designers Focus on Size
and Power
sure is slowly released, there is a point
In pneumatics for medical applications,
the hospital, and the same device
at which some of the blood vessels
the trends are mirroring the changes
might be taken home by the patient
release and blood starts to flow.”
in the medical devices themselves.
and used remotely. With the devices
One trend is portability and movement
getting smaller and the requirements
niques to notice how quickly the blood
where in the past the focus was more
for pneumatics changing, compo-
flow recovers and use that informa-
on in-hospital treatment. Now there is
nents are getting smaller and power
tion to diagnose different maladies
a clear shift to more out-of-the-hospital
consumption is an important design
with the patient. The devices use very
and home clinical treatment.
issue. Audible noise levels are criti-
vessels are restricted and create a tour-
Sophisticated devices use tech-
41

In some cases, there is a need for
A patient might use a ventilator in
precise pressure control, versus a
“What we are seeing with medical
device which turns on and off, and
devices is that they’re getting smaller
concentrator or ventilator home, they
provide a gross control. The propor-
and are often made to be ambulatory
don’t want to hear the valves actuating.
tional valve allows the application
where they need to be disconnected
cal because, if a patient takes an O2
“Because the components are
Sponsored by
now valves are still using the same
devices often weigh five pounds and
technologies. The current goal is to
less and the size of the pneumatics
miniaturize and optimize designs to be
internally is a huge consideration.
smaller but, in the future, technologies
“The design focus in on size and
such as shape metal alloys and piezo
power, and there are things you can
reliability are even more important,”
actuator technology may come to the
do with power,” says Rieken. “We
says Rieken. “The flow capabili-
forefront as devices get smaller.
actually have a PWM (pulse width
One area where pneumatics contin-
modulation) valve with a processor
getting smaller, are often the same as
ues to provide effective components
that can detect when the plunger is
before. Medical device manufacturers
for portable devices is ventilator prod-
moving to optimize the power but
are looking for higher performance
ucts. We may think of a big ventilator
most design decisions are based on
components in a smaller package.”
next to a patient’s bed, but units are
the size of the device and battery
becoming smaller and some compa-
usage. An oxygen concentrator may
ture valves were 16 mm, and then 10
nies are targeting the C-PAP market
need a 12-hour battery life and, if
mm. But now many are 8 mm and
(devices that help patients with sleep
there are four valves in the unit, they
there is work on valves in the 4 to 5
apnea breathe properly while asleep),
need to be extremely low power.”
mm ranges. At some point as devices
where the patient can wear the venti-
One area where suppliers are
continue to get smaller and smaller,
lator on their waist or carry it in a
Rieken says it used to be that minia-

small bag. With oxygen concentrators,
smaller, issues such as accuracy and
ties of valves, even though they are
42
the actual technology may change but
concentrating to provide greater value
Sponsored by
to customers is engineering expertise
power consumption,” says Richard
specific to applications. The device
McDonnell, piezo products program
manufacturer comes with require-
manager for Parker Hannifin Corp.
ments, schematics and a willingness to
consider more highly integrated pneu-
ers continue to shrink in size and
matic modules. Often these modules
device functionality continues to
include flow control, filtration, switch-
increase, customers are expecting
ing valves, fittings and safety relief
next-generation products to operate
valves all manufactured specifically
longer between battery charges. In
for the application and designed into a
the past, instrument engineers might
compact, optimized module that is fully
have considered using a hit-and-
assembled and tested.
hold circuit to reduce a valve’s power
one client cited that in an applica-
consumption which uses a higher
tion of two 0.5W valves, the valve’s
Energy-Efficient Piezo Solutions
voltage to open the valve and then a
parasitic power loss was second
“In handheld instrumentation and
lower voltage to hold it open. Power
only to the instrument’s cooling fans.
medical devices, power budgets are
consumption is decreased, but it is not
New piezoelectric actuator technol-
being scrutinized more than ever,
as efficient as piezoelectric valves.
ogy enables the valves to operate in
as a result of a delicate balance
between added functionality and
43

As portable or handheld analyz-
But McDonnell says that option is
the 100 mW range and, coupled with
no longer good enough. For example,
negligible heat generation, self-latch-
Sponsored by
ing function and the ability to stay in
tors: a 25 mm round, short stroke,
compared with Bender-type piezo
position without power being applied,
low force RLP actuator and its ViVa, a
actuators.
are reasons for growing interest in
family of actuators with mechanical
piezoelectric technology.
amplification for applications requir-
ently proportional, we can apply the
“How that relates in the world of
ing large displacement and high force.
technology in a variety of applications
pneumatics is to provide customers
Either type can be used as an indepen-
to precisely profile the delivery of
with multi-function valves. It was that
dent actuator or as an alternative to
compressed air or gases while mini-
idea that led us to developing advanced
solenoid and voice coil type actuators.
mizing power consumption,” says
piezoelectric actuator technologies to
44

McDonnell says Parker’s compliant
“Because the ViVa actuator is inher-
McDonnell. He says that there is also
augment or perhaps even replace sole-
actuator design increases the piezo
significant interest in energy recovery
noids in the future,” says McDonnell.
displacement well beyond the tradi-
and ultra-low-power technology with
Parker has opted to develop its piezo
tional stack-type piezo, while gener-
energy harvesting to create energy
technology around two types of actua-
ating more exploitable forces when
independent systems. 
Sponsored by
Energy Efficiency Depends on
the Application
Jack Mans in Automation, Packaging Digest, March 31, 2013
I
t is not possible to provide a simple
45

First of all: the truth as to which
requires a holding force, pneumatics
answer to the question of whether
drive is the most energy-efficient lies,
a pneumatic drive is more energy-
as always, in the middle. Energy effi-
efficient than an electric drive or vice
ciency is totally dependent on the
performed from point A to point B.
versa. “Energy efficiency in automa-
purpose for which the drive is used.
These motions can be performed
tion is dependent on the industrial appli-
Measurements reveal the following
in almost all cases by pneumatic
cation”, explains Roland Volk, energy
differences: for a simple motion task,
drives. Nevertheless, electric drives
efficiency consultant. Only a direct
an electric drive is cheaper. During
are commonly used to provide such
comparison of two equally dimensioned
press operations, the level of process
simple motions. If, on the other hand,
drives - one electric and one pneumatic
force and the duration of the opera-
an application requires free and flex-
- is able to dispel the prejudices associ-
tion decide which technology is more
ible positioning, electric drives are
ated with this question.
efficient. However, if the application
more advantageous.
is clearly at an advantage.
In this comparison, motions are
Sponsored by
Moving a workpiece or holding it?
energy only for the brief moment
finding the right solution depends on
These two functions result in very
in which pressure is built up. The
a clear definition of the application. If
different energy consumption values.
holding process itself can be carried
we consider the energy consumption
In the case of motion without addi-
out completely without any fresh
during the gripping process, a pneu-
tional process force, an electric drive
compressed air supply. The electric
matic gripper is superior to an electric
consumes only one-third (25 Ws) of the
drive, on the other hand, requires elec-
gripper in application with long cycles
energy that a pneumatic drive needs
tricity constantly in order to remain
and with few gripper operations.
(78 Ws). For the function of pressing
in the desired position. The longer the
A pneumatic gripper requires
with process force, both drives have
holding process continues, the higher
pressure only once for continuous
roughly the same energy consumption
the energy consumption of the elec-
holding. No more pneumatic energy
of between 20 and 30 Ws.
tric drive compared to the pneumatic
is then required for the duration of
If, however, the drives are required
drive. Measurements show that minor
the holding operation. An electric
to hold a certain position, the energy
leakages have practically no influence
gripper, which needs electrical energy
consumption of the electric drive
on the low energy consumption.
for the entire duration of the holding
shoots up to 247 Ws. This is more
46

operation, can be more energy effi-
than 22 times as much as the energy
Taking a close look at grippers
cient than a pneumatic gripper only
consumption of the pneumatic
A comparison of electric and pneu-
if the application consists of short
drive (11 Ws). The pneumatic drive
matic grippers produces similar
cycles with a large number of grip-
benefits from the fact that it requires
results. The comparison shows how
ping operations.
Sponsored by
It all depends on the application.
Any industrial application has its
47

nance, service life, energy costs).
Energy efficiency depends on the
own specific requirements regard-
application. “This must be clearly
ing technical criteria such as speed,
defined before a user chooses the
load capacity, power to weight ratio,
drive technology - electric or pneu-
accuracy, control behaviour, rigidity
matic or a mixture of both,” explains
under load, efficiency and robust-
Volk. Technologies can be compared
ness, as well as economic criteria such
only on the basis of the total costs
as acquisition costs (purchase price,
of ownership (TCO), which take into
costs of installation and commission-
account both the acquisition costs and
ing) and operating costs (mainte-
the energy costs. 
Sponsored by

A 360° Degree Look at Pneumatics

Transcription

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