Pneumatics is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. It is the science and technology of pressurized air, using piped, compressed air (or a similar gas, such as nitrogen) to transmit force and energy. Pneumatic systems used in industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. Pneumatics is the blanket term for the physical science of compressing air, and for the branch of mechanical engineering that deals with the use of compressed air or gas. Pneumatic systems use compressed air or gas to create mechanical motion and power applications to ‘do work’ in factory automation systems. Pneumatic systems are generally preferred in industry and manufacturing over hydraulic systems because theyre quieter, cheaper to run, and easy to use. Some advantages of pneumatics include:
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Reliability: Pneumatic systems are reliable and functional control methods for industrial processes.
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Cost-effectiveness: Plain atmospheric air is the most commonly used for compression, and in itself, it costs nothing.
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Safety: Pneumatics can be useful in very specific applications where hazards are critical, for example, in a mine, where a stray spark could mean disaster and lost lives.
Pneumatics and hydraulics are applications of fluid power. Pneumatics uses an easily compressible gas such as air or a suitable pure gas, while hydraulics uses relatively incompressible liquid media such as oil.
