A Technical Comparison Pneumatic Cylinders and Electric Rod Actuators.

Pneumatic cylinders have a reputation as economical automation components. It is significantly less expensive to install them than an electric actuator/servo if there is already a source of compressed air. But pneumatic cylinders have some drawbacks compared to electric actuators. For example, they are generally limited to two-position motion profiles; they have more components; they have shorter and unpredictable lives; they need to be manually adjusted; and they consume more electricity. Electric actuators let designers reliably control position, velocity, acceleration/ deceleration and force. In addition to this flexibility, electric actuators can be correctly sized for the life of the application. Electric actuators can also use closed loop control which simplifies the task of collecting data and improving process control. They are virtually maintenance-free and highly efficient and don’t need compressed air, which lowers costs. They also often have lower total cost of ownership versus alternative pneumatic cylinders despite their higher initial purchase price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]