There are many stories (read: prejudices) about the advantages and disadvantages of electric and pneumatic drives. To make a good comparison and see where the tipping point lies, it is useful to be able to give independent advice. The answer to the question of what the best drive is depends on various factors. The application, environmental conditions, installation options - all aspects that need to be weighed.

Don't forget the costs

Pneumatic components are cheaper to buy whereas with servomotors, the price rises exponentially as you need a larger motor. To be able to give a good advice, you need more than what movement is required. For every function, there are aspects that also determine which type of drive gives the best result at the best cost. And with those costs, it is important to make all costs transparent.

Independent advice

In general, you can say that electric drives are precise, fast and easy to control. Pneumatic drives are more compact for the same power. Festo supplies both pneumatic and electric actuators and can therefore advise independently about the technology. This is a fairly unique position, as there are obviously not many manufacturers who supply both solutions. The only thing that matters is what the best solution is for the customer. Consumption is becoming increasingly important in this respect. We see that often little is known about the flip point.

Mapping everything out

To give an example: A customer has a machine that cuts pipes to size. This was previously done with a pneumatic two-position cylinder. The machine had to be adapted from two different dimensions to seven different ones. Beforehand, the customer thought that servo-pneumatic would offer a good solution, but from a cost point of view electric proved to be by far the better solution. The lightest motors, based on stepper motor technology, were chosen.

Based on the function of the drive and the requirements, we advise on which drive is the best in a certain situation. After all, there is more to it than just what movement is required.