How efficient is the pneumatic cylinder?

In the horizontal reciprocating motion with short reciprocating period (less than 1min), the energy consumption of the electric actuator is usually lower than that of the cylinder. However, when the reciprocating cycle is longer (more than 1min), the cylinder becomes more energy-saving. Firstly, when the terminal stops, the controller of the electric actuator usually needs to consume about 10W of power, while the cylinder only has the power consumption of the solenoid valve and gas leakage, which is generally lower than 1W, that is, the longer the terminal stops, the better for the cylinder; Secondly, the rated efficiency of the motor can reach more than 90% under the condition of continuous rotation, but the average efficiency is less than 50% under the condition of platform acceleration and deceleration rotation in linear reciprocating motion (lead screw conversion). In the vertical reciprocating motion, the holding action of the clamping workpiece requires constant supply of current to the electric actuator to overcome the gravity, while the cylinder only needs to close the solenoid valve, which consumes little power. Therefore, in the vertical reciprocating motion, the energy consumption advantage of the electric actuator compared with the cylinder is not great.

It can be seen from the above that the efficiency of the motor itself is very high, but considering its efficiency decline and the power consumption of the controller in the reciprocating linear motion, the electric actuator may not necessarily save energy than the cylinder, and the specific comparison depends on the actual working conditions, such as the installation direction, the reciprocating motion cycle and the load rate.

From the perspective of market form, if the electric cylinder is produced from the beginning with reference to the cylinder shape and installation connection size, it is a good start. However, for the rodless cylinder and pneumatic slide which have not been ISO standard at present, the corresponding shape and installation connection size are also adopted. This convenient measure can prevent unnecessary competition between pneumatic drive and electric drive in installation, addition or replacement. The electric drive product includes more than 300 free combination grabbing modules and multi axis system. Electric actuator is not a competitive product of pneumatic actuator, but a perfect complement to the performance of pneumatic actuator. The characteristics of electric actuator are accuracy and flexibility. In applications where the force disappears rapidly and precise positioning is needed, the electric actuator is an ideal solution.