Servo-pneumatic positioning systems consist of the following elements: 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 specified target position under position control or to generate a specified target force under force control. Festo is the global market leader for servo-pneumatic systems and offers the right solutions for your requirements.
The compressible drive medium of air is used in servo-pneumatics, which is why servo-pneumatic positioning systems are considered to be particularly "soft". This is because once the respective drive is in its position in a controlled manner, it can then be moved or pushed away by an external force of the an equivalent magnitude. In terms of price, servo-pneumatic positioning systems are particularly attractive when masses of more than 10 kg are to be moved.
Displacement encoders are an important part of servo-pneumatic positioning systems because they supply an actual value with the current position. The cylinder diameters of the Festo displacement encoders vary from 18 to 100 mm, while the stroke lengths are 100 to 2,000 mm. Festo displacement encoders are available either as a rotary or as a linear variant. Displacement encoders
Proportional directional valves are used in servo-pneumatic positioning systems as final control elements that regulate the speed with the help of built-in pressure sensors. Festo has three different proportional directional valves that can be controlled either analogously, digitally or directly.
Two Festo position controllers, also known as axis controllers, are suitable for servo-pneumatic positioning systems. Drives controlled with the fast-acting Soft Stop CPX-CMPX slide gently and without impact into the end position. CPX-CMAX was designed for simple servo-pneumatic control of various pneumatic linear or rotary drive families.