Applications involving precision motion control typically use electric servo systems for speed and accuracy, which electric servo systems can handle very well. However, in some cases, the accuracy delivered may be more than needed, and the cost of the electric servo may break the design budget. Fortunately, leading manufacturers of pneumatic valves are developing new high-speed control valves and sophisticated electronic controllers that allow incredible speed, precision, and variable load control to be delivered from a pneumatic cylinder. Most importantly, the overall cost of these servopneumatic systems can compare quite favorably with all-electric systems.
Servopneumatic motion control systems would not be complete without some form of position feedback for the load, and non-contact magnetostrictive linear position transducers fit the bill perfectly. In the two videos shown below, an economical magnetostrictive linear transducer provides the precision feedback that enables this Enfield Technologies servopneumatic control system to demonstrate its impressive performance capabilities.
For more information on linear position transducers, click here.
