Servo-pneumatic positioning systems consist of the following components: a cylinder with displacement encoder, a proportional directional control valveand a position controller. Servo-pneumatic positioning systems are used to either move a pneumatic cylinder to a preset target position in a position-controlled manner or generate a preset target force in a force-controlled manner. Festo is the global market leader for servo-pneumatic systems and offers suitable solutions for your requirements.
In servo-pneumatics, air is used as the compressible drive medium, which is why servo-pneumatic positioning systems are considered particularly "soft". This is because once the drive is in a controlled position, it can be moved or pushed away by a correspondingly large external force. In terms of price, servo-pneumatic positioning systems are especially attractive when loads of more than 10 kg are to be moved.
Displacement encoders are an important part of servo-pneumatic positioning systems, because they provide an actual value for the current position. The cylinder diameters of Festo displacement encoders vary from 18 to 100 mm, while the stroke lengths range from 100 to 2,000 mm. Festo displacement encoders are available as either rotary or linear variants. Displacement encoders
Proportional directional control valves are used in servo-pneumatic positioning systems as a final control element that regulates the speed with the help of built-in pressure sensors. Festo offers three different proportional directional control valves that can be actuated directly, digitally or by analogue means.
There are two Festo position controllers, also known as axis controllers, that are suitable for servo-pneumatic positioning systems. Drives controlled by the fast-acting soft-stop CPX-CMPX move into the end position smoothly and without impact. The CPX-CMAX was designed for the simple servo-pneumatic control of various pneumatic linear or rotary drive series.