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Pneumatic Cylinder

Pneumatic air cylinder-Types,Functions & Industrial Applications

A pneumatic air cylinder (air operated cylinder) is a mechanical actuator that uses compressed air to move a piston and generate linear or rotary motion. It features a simple and reliable structure, offering fast response, clean operation, and long-lasting performance, making it one of the most widely used actuators in modern automation systems.Pneumatic cylinders are commonly applied in manufacturing, packaging, assembly lines, logistics, electronics, food equipment, and other industrial automation fields.

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What Is A Pneumatic Air Cylinder?


Pneumatic air cylinder serves as a type of air operated actuator equipment in pneumatic action components that uses compressed air to operate a piston to produce linear or rotary motion. 


Pneumatic air cylinder features a simple structure that includes a pneumatic cylinder kit and mounting accessories. With frequent mechanical motion output, it remains low-cost, safe, and clean. The compressor air cylinder is easy to control, quickly and flexibly converting compressed air energy into mechanical power. It is environmentally friendly and commonly used as an execution part in small pneumatic equipment and system machines.


Pneumatic air cylinder has high efficiency and stability performance, and is widely used in many industries such as automated manufacturing, packaging equipment, assembly lines, logistics conveyor systems, and electronic assembly. However,air operated cylinder has different types and brands vary in their advantages and applications.Lets' go on!



Different Pneumatic Air Cylinder Industrial Types and Functions


Air operated cylinder can be roughly divided into single/double acting, rodless, guide rod, rotary, and guide rod cylinder types, Each type of air pneumatic cylinder has unique characteristics and applicable environments.


Air cylinder has various types with different appearance and function, you need to have a certain understanding Technical Parameters of the pneumatic actuator, including cylinder diameter, stroke, pressure, and load.


According to their working principle and structure, pneumatic cylinder actuator can be divided into common 5 types as follows:


Two types of cylinder operation


Single-acting Cylinder:Most of them has mini structure appearance,simple structure and convenient use with one air inlet and spring return,small thrust actuator that used in short-stroke applications.


Single-acting Cylinder



Double action cylinder:A type of cylinder with smoother movements.Two air inlets, air pressure drives reciprocating motion, greater thrust, suitable for long-stroke and frequent-motion applications.

double acting cylinder

Common cylinder structural types


Rodless cylinder actuator:This pneumatic cylinder type without a piston rod structure,and uses a piston to drive the carriage by magnetic or mechanical coupling, saving installation space and making it well-suited for long-stroke, smooth linear transfer applications.

Rodless cylinder



Rotary pneumatic cylinder:A cylinder type that converts aerodynamic energy into rotational motion, controllable output angle, multiple mounting options, suitable for gripping, flipping, and other rotary motion applications.


Rotary cylinder


Double Rod Guided air cylinder:Dual-rod guided structure, air pressure drives linear reciprocation, strong resistance to side load, suitable for high-precision pushing, clamping, and positioning applications.


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In addition, there are mini cylinders, compact air cylinders, long-stroke cylinders, and other specialized types of cylinder actuators include Multi-Position and Multi-Stage Actuators.


Mini Pneumatic Cylinder is the main cylinder product type of fescolo air cylider,mainly reflected in its compact and miniature sizes design, efficient performance, and wide applicability, especially suitable for small automation equipment or precision mechanical systems with limited space.In automatic testing and sorting equipment, small cylinders are used for pushing, stopping, and sorting small workpieces.


Another type is compact air cylinder which specifically designs for space-saving industries. Compared to standard air cylinder, its compact structure offers enhanced space efficiency without compromising performance. This kinds are commonly lightweight, yet maintain high strength and structural stability, making them an ideal choice for applications where space, reliability, and performance are critical.


Different types of air operated cylinder do indeed exhibit significant differences in mounting and sealing types, which stem from their structural design, working principles, and specific application scenarios.



Leading Pneumatic Cylinder Brands 


Most well-known pneumatic brands are as follows:


ISO 6431 / ISO 15552 


This is a globally standardized size for a type of cylinder, with different variants each emphasizing aspects such as load capacity, stroke, and structural characteristics.



SMC Air cylinder 


SMC cylinders feature a comprehensive product line with reliable supply. Their environmentally friendly pneumatic actuators focus on optimized internal structural design, with high precision in inner tube processing, effectively reducing air loss and friction between components.


Airtac cylinder


AirTAC offers multiple standard series that are compatible with ISO standards, with a wide range of installation parts and accessories. Its broad market presence makes the maintenance and replacement of AirTAC cylinders more convenient.



What Is The Core Function of The Pneumatic Air Cylinder?


Compared with other types of actuators, air operated cylinders have many functions. Let's explore their main functions.


Quick Response:The most critical function is that the internal air pressure changes rapidly, which can quickly drive the cylinder piston to move.


Provides Mechanical Power:Another key function is the energy of compressed air is converted into mechanical force that drives the load through the movement of the piston rod.


Performs Automated Actions:The pneumatic cylinder can automatically perform standard actions such as clamping, transferring, positioning, pressing, and cutting required by the load.


Capable of Position Control:In combination with sensors and control valves, cylinders can achieve precise position control and multi-stage displacement control.



Using Advantages of Pneumatic Air Operated Cylinder


The biggest advantage of the simple and convenient air actuated actuator is that it also has the following advantages:


Low energy consumption: Air cylinders use compressed air as their power source, which significantly reduces energy consumption,But pneumatic systems often have low efficiency.


Reduced environmental pollution:  Air actuated cylinder uses compressed air instead of oil or other liquid media to operate, which eliminates the risk of liquid leakage and environmental pollution issues.


Robust yet lightweight: Some pneumatic air cylinders are made from aluminum alloy and stainless steel, featuring a simple structure, light weight, and high resistance to wear and pressure. 


 Good security:The pneumatic cylinders use compressed air as the medium, which is non flammable, suitable for occasions with high requirements for cleanliness and explosion prevention.



Pneumatic air cylinder working principle


The composed components of air operated cylinder such as cylinder tube, piston, piston rod, end cover, and sealing parts.The following is the structural diagram of the cylinder.



air operated cylinder components



The air operated actuator drives the piston to move by compressed air, converting air energy into linear or rotational mechanical energy.The working principle is very simple and efficient.



Pneumatic air cylinder application industries


Air operated cylinder is widely used in automation and industrial manafucture systems by using compressed air to actuate the conversion of force and motion. 


◆ Industrial Automation

◆ Manufacturing

◆ Transportation

◆ Medical Devices

◆ Food & Beverage

◆ Construction


Due to the use of compressor air as pneumatic cylinder medium, air cylinder is particularly suitable for explosion-proof scenarios and clean room environments.



What is pneumatic?


Pneumatic technology is a technology that uses compressed air as the working medium to operate power transmission and control through various pneumatic components.


A complete pneumatic system components involves steps taken such as air Filtration and compression, storage, purificationtransmissioncontrol, and actuation.


The air operated cylinder is the actuator in pneumatic system that realizing the conversion of clean energy into mechanical action.


Thanks to pneumatics' high efficiency, safety, environmental friendliness, and ease of maintenance, pneumatic technology is widely applied in various industrial fields such as packaging, assembly, logistics, food processing, automotive manufacturing and electronics. Air technology has become an indispensable method and technological system in modern automation.



Pneumatic cylinder manufacturer near me


Fescolo is a pneumatic products manufacturer specializing in manufacturing industrial grade pneumatic cylinders. We supply a variety of pneumatic actuator types and internationally renowned brands, most of which are produced according to ISO 15552 standards. Customers do not have to worry about subsequent maintenance and parts replacement issues.


We commit to supply Best air operated cylinder brands to increase cooperation with brands such as SMC, Festo, Airtac, etc.If you have any questions, you can contact us directly!

Pneumatic Cylinder ISO 6431
Airtac Standard Pneumatic Cylinder
Mini Pneumatic Air Cylinder
Compact Air Cylinder
Dual Rod Guided Air Cylinders
Rodless Air Cylinder
SMC Standard Air Cylinder
Pneumatic Rotary Cylinder
Other Special Air Cylinder
Pneumatic Vibrator
Pneumatic Hammer
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