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Pneumatics, from the Greek πνευματικός (pneumatikos, coming from the wind) is the use of pressurized air in science and technology.
Pneumatics are used in a variety of settings. In dentistry applications, pneumatic drills are lighter, faster and simpler than an electric drill of the same power rating (because the prime mover, the compressor, is separate from the drill and pumped air is capable of rotating the drill bit at extremely high rpm's). Pneumatic devices are also used where electric motors cannot be used for safety reasons, such as mining applications where rock drills are powered by air motors to preclude the need for electric motors deep in the mine where explosive gases may be present.
Pneumatic systems are used in manufacturing to control industrial processes. These systems started being replaced in the 1990s with Distributed Control Systems, where costs permit.
Industrial pneumatics may be contrasted with hydraulics, which uses noncompressible liquid media such as oil, or water combined with soluble oil, instead of air. Air is compressible, is considered to be a fluid, and most industrial applications use approximately 80 to 100 pounds per square inch (psi) (500 to 700 kilopascals)gauge pressure, as compared to hydraulics which are commonly used from 1,000 to 5,000 psi (0.7 to 3.5 MPa), and in some cases 10,000 psi (7 MPa) and higher. Both pneumatics and hydraulics are applications of fluid power.
The pneumatical principles conclude that the pressure forms in compressible liquids can be harnessed to a high potential of power. This gives us new potential of several pneumatical powered operations and henceforth create many new devices which we may use to power our world
Common industrial pneumatic components include:
- pneumatic direct operated solenoid valve
- pneumatic pilot operated solenoid valve
- pneumatic external piloted solenoid valve
- pneumatic manual valve
- pneumatic valve with air pilot actuator
- pneumatic filter
- pneumatic pressure regulator
- pneumatic lubricator
- pneumatic pressure switch
- pneumatic manual OSHA-type lock out and dump valve
- pneumatic solenoid dump valve
- pneumatic cylinder
- pneumatic rodless cylinder
- pneumatic gripper
- pneumatic rotary actuator
- pneumatic fitting
- pneumatic flow control
- pneumatic quick exhaust valve
- pneumatic pressure booster
- pneumatic polyurethane tubing
- pneumatic quick disconnect
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