This chapter introduces Basics of Pneumatics, Advantages & Disadvantages, Application and symbols to students who are taking Pneumatics and Hydraulics course in Polytechnics
2. Safety Rules
Never blow compressed air at anyone, not even
yourself.
Never let compressed air come into contact with
your skin, as this can be very dangerous.
Always wear safety goggles when you are
connecting and operating circuits.
Check that all airlines are connected before
turning on the main air supply.
3. Safety Rules
Always turn off the main air supply before changing
a circuit.
Keep your hands away from moving parts.
Avoid having airlines trailing across the floor or
where someone could trip or become entangled.
4. Pneumatics - Use
Some examples of everyday pneumatic systems are
shown below. How many do you recognise?
5. Pneumatics - Use
Pneumatics are also used a lot in industry. It can be
used to do lots of different jobs such as moving, holding
or shaping objects.
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6. Advantages of Pneumatics
Clean: Pneumatic systems are clean because they
use compressed air. If a pneumatic system
develops a leak, it will be air that
escapes and not oil. This air will not drip or
cause a mess which makes pneumatics
suitable for food production lines.
Safe: Pneumatic systems are very safe compared to
other systems. We cannot, for example, use
electronics for paint spraying because many
electronic components produce sparks and
this could cause the paint to catch fire.
7. Advantages of Pneumatics
Reliable: Pneumatic systems are very reliable and can
keep working for a long time. Many
companies invest in pneumatics because they
know they will not have a lot of breakdowns
and that the equipment will last for a long
time.
Economical: If we compare pneumatic systems to other
systems, we find that they are cheaper to
run. This is because the components last for
a long time and because we are using
compressed air.
8. Advantages of Pneumatics
Flexible: Once you have bought the basic components, you
can set them up to carry out different tasks.
Pneumatic systems are easy to install and they do
not need to be insulated or protected like electronic
systems.
9. HOMEWORK
Give three examples of the everyday use of pneumatics.
What is compressed air?
Give two reasons why pneumatic systems are used in
industry.
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of
pneumatics.
10. •Pneumatics is the general term used to describe the
mechanics of gases
•Pneumatics, derived from the Greek word pneumatikos,
where;
• pneu = wind/gases
• matikos = power
• Pneumatics is a type of power transmission that uses a gas
and pressure differential to create movement.
17. The development of pneumatic systems is assisted by a
uniform approach to the representation of the
elements and the circuits. The symbols used for the
individual elements must display the following
characteristics:
• Actuation and return actuation methods
•Numbers of connections
• Numbers of switching positions
•General operating principle
• Simplified representation of the flow path
25. Pneumatics - Use
Some examples of everyday pneumatic systems are shown
below. How many do you recognise?
26.
27. Pneumatics - Use
Pneumatics are also used a lot in industry. It can be
used to do lots of different jobs such as moving, holding
or shaping objects.
MOVE HOLD
FORM PROCESS
28. QUIZ
Give three examples of the everyday use of
pneumatics.
Give two reasons why pneumatic systems are used in
industry.