What are the advantages of electric cylinders compared to traditional pneumatic cylinders and hydraulic cylinders?

As the requirements for factory automation become higher and higher, electric cylinders emerge as the times require. The so-called electric cylinder (also called electric actuator) uses an electric motor to drive the screw to rotate, which is converted into linear motion through the nut, and pushes the slide table to reciprocate linear motion along the guide rail like a cylinder. In order to adapt to different industrial application requirements, a variety of electric cylinder specifications are provided. It is a new revolutionary product that can realize high-precision linear motion series. Compared with traditional hydraulic cylinders and air cylinders, electric cylinders do not require hydraulic oil or air as a medium, and their performance is not easily affected by the external environment. They do not require complex pumps, valves, etc. like hydraulic systems. They have simple structure, high precision, and With the advantages of fast response and high stability, it is a substitute for traditional hydraulic cylinders and air cylinders. It meets the needs of many workplaces and has broad market prospects. Let’s take a look at the comparison between electric cylinders and traditional cylinders and hydraulic cylinders.





Comparison between electric cylinder and traditional cylinder:
1. Actuator: The traditional cylinder is mainly composed of solenoid valves, filters, pressure reducing valves and other components. Its power output source is a steam compressor air pump, and the cost allocated to each axis is low. Each axis of the electric cylinder system requires a servo drive as the power unit output. At this point, the hardware cost of servo electric cylinders and drive systems is relatively high compared to cylinders.
2. Control equipment: Both the cylinder and the electric cylinder require controllers such as PLC. The cylinder controls the cylinder solenoid valve through a relay, thereby achieving some complex motion control, and additional sensors are required;while the electric cylinder uses a relay. The above-mentioned servo drive can already realize various motion functions without the need for additional control components.
3. System design: In terms of hardware, the cylinder has many components and the system is complex, so the hardware design time and cost are high. The structure of the electric cylinder is very simple, and the component types are only the cylinder, driver and controller, so its hardware system integration is relatively simple. In terms of software, from an application perspective, it is difficult to tell the difference between the two, because it depends very much on its application.
4. In practical applications, the power of the cylinder must use air pressure as the intermediate medium, and there is a leakage problem during operation, so its energy consumption efficiency is not high;while the power of the electric cylinder is directly converted into mechanical energy through electrical energy. , its energy consumption efficiency is higher.





Comparison of electric cylinders and traditional hydraulic cylinders:
1. Installation: All point operations of the electric cylinder use simple connections and are directly compatible with other electronic control components;while the hydraulic cylinder requires oil pipes, filtering devices and pumps, etc. Part compatibility must be paid close attention to.
2. Precise positioning: The electric cylinder is economical, has good repeatability, and has rigid multiple stopping capabilities;while the hydraulic cylinder requires position detection and precision electro-hydraulic valve components, and may crawl;
3. Control: Electric cylinders use solid-state processors to control equipment to automatically operate complex movements;hydraulic cylinders require electronic/fluid interfaces, and in some cases require the use of heterogeneous valve designs. Control is complex because of hysteresis, dead zones, supply pressure and temperature changes;
4. Speed: The electric cylinder is stable and has the ability to change speed. The speed range ranges from 0.5 to 1500mm/s;while the hydraulic cylinder is difficult to control accurately and will change with temperature and wear, and may have stick-slip problems;
5. Reliability: Electric cylinders have repeatable and reproducible performance throughout the product's service life and require little maintenance;hydraulic cylinders are very sensitive to contamination, the fluid source requires maintenance, and seals are prone to leaking. Maintenance can ensure good reliability;
6. Output: The maximum electric cylinder is 350KN, while the hydraulic force is almost unlimited and the power is the most powerful;
7. Cycle life: The electric cylinder can reach hundreds of cycles under rated load, and the life is easy to predict;while the life of the hydraulic cylinder depends on the design and seal wear, which is usually good;
8. Environment: The standard model of the electric cylinder has a rated temperature range of -20 degrees to 120 degrees, and is inherently clean and energy-efficient;while the hydraulic cylinder may have serious problems at extreme temperatures, and the seals may leak and waste materials must be disposed of. The problems are becoming more and more difficult;
9. Safe load fixing function: if the electric cylinder loses power, the optional brake motor will automatically brake and the screw device will automatically lock;while the hydraulic cylinder must use complex backup safety equipment;
10. Cost: The original cost of the electric cylinder is medium, and the maintenance and operating costs are very low;the installation and maintenance costs of the hydraulic cylinder are relatively high. New hydraulic power units cost more.