ABSTRACT
Pneumatic drives are widely used in the manufacturing and process industry. The capability of conventional pneumatic drives to perform high-speed actuation is broadly recognized. The challenge is to produce a high-performance system (employing pneumatic actuation) in terms of accuracy (positioning, timing, and contouring) and flexibility (modularity in mechanical configuration, capability of integrating with other machine elements, versatility in the changeover of application tasks, and responsiveness to system failure). The basic reasons for using closed-loop systems in contrast to openloop systems include the need to improve transient response times, reduce the steady-state errors, and reduce the sensitivity to load parameters. Servo control and computer/digital technology are the two major factors that enable realization of the performance potential of pneumatic drives to their best advantage.
