EC: DSBC

Motion Control - Drives: The DSBC is an ISO 15552 pneumatic cylinder with an anodized aluminum profile body which provides linear movement and force. This is a Control Engineering 2013 Engineers' Choice finalist.

By Control Engineering November 12, 2012

The DSBC pneumatic cylinder offers an innovative self-adjusting air cushioning system, and a comprehensive selection of design variants so the cylinder can be configured specifically for the application and environment, ensuring optimal performance and service life. Some of these variants include different seal materials and rod scrapers for different environments (high/low temperature, dirty/dusty, wet/washdown, chemicals) and applications (low friction for balancing/tensioning, very slow and smooth movement). The self-adjusting air cushioning, developed by Festo, is a new type of cushioning system which eliminates the need for manual adjustment.

In principle, it works the same way as manually adjustable cushioning, but the cushioning chamber is not exhausted via an adjustable cross-section (needle valve adjusting screw) but via notches in the cushioning piston. Longitudinal slots integrated into the cushion piston make it possible to exhaust the air cushion independent of the cushioning length. The system employs innovative, patented air channel geometry to provide phased venting of the cushioning air. The system automatically adapts its characteristics to suit the cylinder’s prevailing load and speed conditions to provide optimum end-position cushioning.

Without any need or possibility for manual adjustment, self-adjusting cushioning now ensures an optimum cushioning action every time, even if parameters such as friction and pressure change. This results in increased productivity due to optimal cycle times, and reduces the installation time required since no air cushioning adjustment is needed. It also reduces the acceleration forces acting on components and work-pieces, which reduces wear and minimizes time-consuming vibration.

www.festo.com/us

www.festo.com/cms/en-us_us/16792.htm

Festo Corp.