What Is a Pneumatic Cylinder?

A pneumatic cylinder is a mechanical actuator that uses compressed air to produce linear movement. It is also commonly described as an air cylinder or pneumatic actuator.

Pneumatic cylinders are used throughout industrial machinery to push, pull, lift, clamp, position, stop, eject or move components. They are found on packaging equipment, conveyors, assembly machinery, production lines, handling systems, process equipment and automated fixtures.

Main parts of a pneumatic cylinder

Although construction varies between manufacturers and cylinder types, most pneumatic cylinders contain the following main components:

• Cylinder barrel: the tube or profile containing the piston.
• Piston: the internal component moved by compressed air.
• Piston rod: transfers movement from the piston to the machine.
• Front and rear end covers: close the cylinder body and contain the air connections.
• Seals: prevent air leakage and separate the two sides of the piston.
• Air ports: allow compressed air to enter and leave the cylinder.
• Cushioning: reduces impact as the piston reaches the end of its stroke.
• Magnetic piston: allows compatible sensors to detect piston position on many cylinder ranges.

What does a pneumatic cylinder do?

The cylinder converts air pressure into mechanical movement. When compressed air acts against the piston, it creates force and moves the piston through the cylinder barrel. The connected piston rod then moves the machine component attached to it.

The available force is mainly affected by the cylinder bore and operating pressure. A larger bore provides a greater piston area and can therefore produce more force at the same pressure.

Where are pneumatic cylinders used?

Common applications include:

• Opening and closing machine guards or gates
• Clamping products during assembly or machining
• Diverting items on conveyors
• Ejecting components from tooling
• Lifting or lowering machine assemblies
• Positioning stops and guides
• Operating packaging machinery
• Moving parts between production stages

Are all pneumatic cylinders interchangeable?

No. Two cylinders can share the same bore and stroke while having different mounting dimensions, piston rod threads, port positions, body lengths or cushioning arrangements.

The safest replacement route is to begin with the complete manufacturer part number. Where that is unavailable, the cylinder type, bore, stroke, mountings and critical dimensions must be established before another product is proposed.

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