Port 1 - Mains air supply
Port 2 - Outlet to point of use.
Port 3 - Exhaust port.
Port 4 - same as port 2.
Port 5 - Same as port 3. The air in cylinders, etc, must be exhausted as
the trapped air will stop the actuator from moving.
Ports 10 & 12 (or 12 & 14). These are the external pilot ports on a pneumatically
operated valve.
What do the valve configuration numbers 2/2, 3/2, 5/2 & 5/3 mean?
The first number represents the number of ports in the valve excluding pilot ports. (Ports numbered 1 - 5 see above.) The second number represents the number of valve
positions or states it can switch to.
If I know what thrust I need how do I work out what bore size cylinder I need?
How do I control the speed of a double acting (Air used to move the cylinder both out & in) cylinder?
A double acting cylinder speed is controlled by using uni-directional flow controls. These only restrict the flow of air in one direction only. They are positioned in each line to restrict the EXHAUST flow of the air only. This gives greater control over the speed of the cylinder in particular at low speeds.
What is the difference between pressure controllers regulators) and flow controllers?
The pressure applied to an actuator determines the thrust available to do work. The flow controllers regulate how fast this work is carried out.
