Pneumatic valves are common in every industry, in applications from medical to chemical and automation to corrugation. Compressed air is readily available, clean and easy to use, so…
Pneumatics makes quick work of packaging lane changes
By Bernie Moltchan, Simplimatic Automation Sales Manager – Beverage, Simplimatic Automation Simplimatic Automation, Forest, Va., manufactures material handling systems and automation for the packaging, semiconductor, electronics, assembly, pharmaceutical,…
Firestone Industrial Products remembers Larry David Wilson, 46-year veteran of OEM industry
(FSIP) is remembering Larry David Wilson, a beloved member of the OEM industry and longtime employee, who recently passed away. Wilson, 78, of Carmel, Indiana, devoted 46 years…
Program details released for 2016 FPIRC
The official topics for the 2016 Fluid Power Innovation & Research Conference (FPIRC) technical program have been announced. The three days of presentations, which are taking place at…
Compressed air fail: Missed compressor adjustment
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A metal fabrication facility ran two separate systems to feed tools and equipment in two shops on their premises. One…
New Ingersoll Rand Rotary Screw Air Compressors with Variable Speed Drive
Ingersoll Rand has introduced new models to its revolutionary line of Next Generation R-Series compressors, which incorporate the latest advancements in variable speed drive (VSD) technology to increase…
ASCO 381 Series Poppet Valves Designed for Extremely Low Temperature Applications
The ASCO 381 Series poppet valves feature a broad operating temperature range of -60°C to 80°C for both ambient and media, which allows them to be used in…
Harvard researchers build pneumatic octopus
In a departure from the engineering behind typical rigid industrial robots, a team of Harvard University researchers have built what’s reportedly the first autonomous, untethered, entirely soft robot….
What are automatic condensate drains?
Automatic condensate drains are essential components in every compressed air treatment system, purging liquid from receiver tanks, water separators, coalescing filters, and air dryers. Auto drains are small…
International Equipment Manufacturers To Demonstrate Integrated Industries Solutions Across Five Industrial Technology Events at IMTS 2016
A growing trend of the Industrial Technology Events powered by HANNOVER MESSE at IMTS 2016 is the number of international exhibitors present on the show floor. Approximately 70…
How do I control multiple compressors, Part 2?
To continue this simple question with a complicated answer, in this blog post we will deal with rotary screw compressors, the most common type of compressor found in industrial…
Can air compressor heat be recovered?
The recovery of compressor heat can substantially reduce the total cost of energy in most commercial or industrial facilities. Thanks to the laws of physics, the most plentiful…
Compressed Air Fail: Air dryer purge
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A grain products company was increasing their production capacity and needed a new compressor and dryer. The budget was tight,…
Right-sized cylinders and efficiently ensure performance
By: Nathan Irvine – AVENTICS Corp Rightfully, pneumatics is considered extremely simple, flexible and economical. Add to that, air-powered systems are quite durable—they routinely run for years trouble-free with…
The new generation of PRIME MOVER pneumatic actuators
The new generation of PRIME MOVER actuators has significantly improved performance: The PRIME MOVER offers axial motion with no rotational forces involved. The actuator uses all metal construction…
The New Festo Semi-Rotary Drive is Designed for Fast Installation and Long Life
Festo introduces a new pneumatic semi-rotary vane drive and matched contactless position sensor that transforms a relatively simple and low cost drive into a solution that lowers engineering…
How costly is my desiccant dryer?
Desiccant units will consume about 2 to 3 kW of energy for every 100 cfm of dryer rating, compared to about 0.8 kW per 100 cfm for refrigerated…
Festo introduces low cost EtherNet/IP connectivity
The new Festo CTEU-EP universal EtherNet/IP interface module improves the quality, performance, and diagnostics of OEM pneumatic systems at a fraction of the cost of previous generation solutions…
Why is my compressor room so hot?
The physics of compressed air dictates that heat must be generated if air is compressed. The amount of heat depends on the size of the compressor. For example,…
How do I know what size air compressor to buy?
Determining what size of compressor to buy is a very difficult problem. This is especially true if the compressor will be for a new system that hasn’t been…
How many horsepower should a 100 hp compressor consume?
CAGI Sheets tell the story! When you buy a 100 hp compressor, how many horsepower do you think it should consume? Yes, this is a trick question. Compressor ratings…
Compressed air fail: Water hammer
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A building products company chose to allow their piping contractor to design the piping system in their compressor room. Rather…
Airstrike Actuators from Firestone Industrial Products
Airstroke Actuators from Firestone Industrial Products perform the same type of actuation tasks as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. Long used in the industrial market as pneumatic actuators,…
Air bearing/actuator guaranteed to outlast any machine
The Airpel -Air Bearing provides force without friction, which is made possible by a stainless steel piston that is fitted to a borosilicate glass cylinder. The introduction of…
Piab acquires Kenos and grips new market
Piab has acquired Italian-based Kenos, a company in the market of large area vacuum grippers. Kenos designs and manufactures gripping systems used in various applications e.g. packaging, wood,…