Pneumatic Actuators vs Hydraulic Actuators

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If you have any sort of a mechanized process involved in your operations, then there&#;s a good chance that actuators are the components that are helping said processes tick. Simply put, actuators convert energy into motion, helping machinery work the way it&#;s intended to work. Think of mechanical acts such as lifting, clamping and ejecting &#; it&#;s actuators that are playing a key role in converting the energy into motion to make this happen.

Just about every industry uses actuators to some extent. Noting this, it&#;s no surprise that there are various different types of actuators &#; with some working better in certain applications and industries than others. In this post, we&#;ll take a closer look at two of the more popular types of actuators, pneumatic and hydraulic, so that you can make the best decision on what type would be best integrated into your application. Here&#;s a closer look at how pneumatic and hydraulic actuators stack up against each other:

Pneumatic vs. Hydraulic Actuators: What&#;s the Difference?

Before we get into some of the intended end uses for pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, it&#;s worth taking a moment to discuss the key differences between these two model types. Here&#;s a look:

Hydraulic Actuators 101

Hydraulic actuators are among the most popular types of actuators used today. They work on fluid transfer via a hydraulic pump, which creates the pressure required to move the actuator. The biggest benefit associated with hydraulic actuators is that they&#;re able to transfer a significant amount of energy per volume, making them ideal for use in construction equipment, heavy-duty machinery and transportation applications, among others.

Pneumatic Actuators 101

Due to the pressure pneumatic systems run at, pneumatic actuators are significantly less powerful than hydraulic actuators, but they do make sense in a variety of applications, including food production, window manufacturing, and vehicle production. They&#;re known for being safe, stable and reliable. They also have a very simple design, which helps limit maintenance.

Hydraulic Actuator Advantages and Disadvantages

Now that we covered some of the basics of how hydraulic actuators work and what industries and applications they&#;re best utilized in, it&#;s worth discussing some of the pros and cons associated with these types of components. Let&#;s start with the pros:

Advantages of Hydraulic Actuators

• Power: As we noted above, hydraulic actuators are very powerful and efficient. They&#;re among the most powerful actuators available, which makes them an ideal component on heavy-duty applications.
• Mobile: Hydraulic actuators also excel thanks to their portability. They&#;re easy to move and quite versatile, another reason why they&#;re among the most popular types of actuators in use today.

Disadvantages of Hydraulic Actuators

• Cost: There&#;s a price that comes with enhanced power potential, and this upfront cost can represent a significant investment. However, while hydraulic actuators are more costly than other types of actuators, the return on investment is often worth it in the long-term.
• Maintenance: As we noted above, hydraulic actuators work with a fluid. Because of this, the threat of leakage and other fluid-related problems are there. And because of the threat of a potential leak and the mess it can potentially create, hydraulic actuators often have to be cared for more diligently than other types of actuators.

Pneumatic Actuator Advantages and Disadvantages

Here&#;s a closer look at some of the key advantages and disadvantages of pneumatic actuators:

Advantages of Pneumatic Actuators

• Fast and efficient: Pneumatic actuators work quickly, effectively and efficiently. This translates directly to a higher rate of productivity in the applications they operate in.
• Cost-effective: Compared to hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators are much more budget-friendly. This translates to less of an upfront financial commitment and a quicker return on investment.
• Simplicity: Pneumatic actuators rely on a variety of components to operate, but these components have the advantage of being quite simple in design. This translates to less required maintenance and problems.

Disadvantages of Pneumatic Actuators

• Power: As we noted earlier in this piece, while pneumatic actuators excel in reliability and efficiency, they lack in power. That being said, pneumatic actuators are best utilized in light and medium-duty applications. Heavy-duty applications are best served by a hydraulic actuator.
• Limited lifecycle: Though simple in their makeup and relatively maintenance-free, pneumatic actuators do tend to have a shorter lifespan than hydraulic actuators.
• Environmental considerations: We noted that pneumatic actuators work via compressed air. However, it&#;s worth remembering that compressed air contains water. This water must be removed for long cylinder life. There are also temperature considerations to be mindful of, especially in freezing conditions.

Contact JHFOSTER Today

For more information on the differences, and pros and cons associated with hydraulic and pneumatic actuators, contact JHFOSTER today. Our experts are standing by to help answer any questions and help you determine what type of actuator would work best in any of your applications. Contact us today for more information.

For handling extensive or heavy loads in excess of 3,000 pounds, it makes sense for engineers to implement hydraulic cylinders. They use electricity to create motion, which in turn completes a specific task. They&#;re often used in motors, pumps, oil filters, relief valves, and other types of valves. Industries like aeronautics, manufacturing, and construction rely on the technology in heavy machinery and mission-critical systems.

But hydraulic cylinders are also bulky, with many complex components, so they can be very difficult to implement when spaces or designs are tight. A sound alternative is an electro-hydraulic actuator.

Electro-hydraulic actuators aren&#;t all that different in size from hydraulic cylinders. However, they are designed differently, with remarkably unique internal compositions. A hydraulic cylinder is often densely packed with components and parts, many of which can develop leaks or issues over time &#; primarily due to constant vibrations and movements.

Electro-hydraulic actuators, on the other hand, are self-contained, with unique properties that make them more suitable in various applications. They are low-maintenance, relatively durable, and provide plenty of power.

To understand when and where an electro-hydraulic actuator makes more sense for a project or system, it&#;s best to consider the pros and cons of their use.

The Pros of Electro-Hydraulic Actuators

Overall, when compared to hydraulic cylinders, electro-hydraulic actuators have a significant advantage thanks to higher power density, low maintenance requirements, location and usage versatility, cleanliness, and general cost. What&#;s more, because they can handle up to a 4,800-pound load, they can be used in instances where traditional hydraulics cannot.

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Engineers have a lot more freedom and design flexibility when it comes to implementing electro-hydraulic actuators, meaning they can create more efficient and nuanced systems. The self-contained power also means they don&#;t need to be placed near other components or in a specific configuration. They do not rely on anything else.

They offer much higher precision and are scalable for any purpose or force requirement even well above traditional hydraulics. What&#;s more, they can be programmed, networked, and diagnosed quickly &#; especially since they require very little maintenance. Engineers and system operators gain complete control over the resulting hardware with the option to choose custom speeds, stroke lengths, or applied forces.

They are also much much quieter than hydraulic actuators, so they can be used in unique instances where noisy components may not be ideal. If you&#;ve ever been around a hydraulic press, you know just how loud traditional systems can get. Electric alternatives are quiet, efficient, powerful, and make a lot more sense in certain instances, especially when engineers need to be creative.

The Cons of Electro-Hydraulic Actuators

At one point in time, electric actuators were not commonly used because their design introduced many problems. They were weak, unreliable, and presented similar challenges. That&#;s no longer the case. In fact, today, they&#;re better and more powerful than many traditional hydraulics. They&#;ve come a long way, and the technology offers a more influential and dependable solution.

That&#;s not to say they are perfect. The biggest disadvantage of electro-hydraulic actuators is the upfront cost, especially when multiple units need to be deployed or installed. They are more expensive initially than traditional hydraulics or pneumatics. They&#;re also not safe for all conditions. For example, in flammable areas or where extremely high heat is created, it&#;s dangerous to use an electro-hydraulic actuator over a traditional system.

Finally, while the benefits of fluidless systems mean very little maintenance, and eliminate the need to inspect for leaks or similar problems, when something does go wrong, it&#;s necessary to have a specialist in place. The good news is that failures or malfunctions are rare with electro-hydraulic actuators. But they do happen. When something does go wrong, the likelihood of having an expert on your team is small, unless you seek out professionals with direct experience.

The Verdict

Despite the benefits and the increase in power density, it&#;s important to note that electro-hydraulic actuators are not ideal for every situation. The upfront cost, especially for more units, can be quite an obstacle for smaller operations. The usage cost is justified over time, but the upfront cost can be too great depending on how many units are necessary and what&#;s required.

As mentioned, they&#;re not ideal for use in hazardous conditions either, namely around flammable components and emissions. Extreme heat or cold can present unique challenges as well, so it&#;s best to refrain from using electro-hydraulic actuators in these rare circumstances.

However, there is something to be said about the self-contained design of electro-hydraulic actuators. Harsh conditions &#; which are not necessarily the same as extreme heat or flammable conditions &#; are still a major possibility for electric actuators because they do not suffer jamming problems, do not experience leaks and are relatively protected overall since they do not rely on external components or connectivity.

What&#;s most promising is that they can be continually improved over time to be much more efficient than comparable and traditional systems. That includes gains in noise suppression, fewer emissions, improved durability, and better power output, depending on the surrounding conditions and application. One could say it&#;s a relatively young technology, at least in hydraulics, that will continue to see major improvements in the years ahead.

Should You Choose Electro-Hydraulic Actuators?

While electro-hydraulic actuators certainly come with their share of benefits, all three hydraulic technologies &#; hydraulic linear, pneumatic, and electric &#; have their place in industrial settings. Unfortunately, there&#;s no one-size-fits-all system that&#;s viable for every single application. It&#;s best to take time to assess which form of hydraulics is right for the project and task and then implement accordingly.

Industry veterans may know that, somewhere along the line, electric actuators were just not commercially or economically viable, especially since they were weaker than some of the other solutions. That&#;s no longer the case, and the technology has not just advanced considerably but also now continues to grow more capable and prevalent every day. We&#;re starting to see its use in many industries, like aviation, manufacturing, construction, and others.

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