The difference between cylinders and electric actuators, their main advantages

The difference between cylinder and electric actuator


From a traditional perspective, cylinders and electric actuators have always been considered to be automation products belonging to two completely different fields. However, in recent years, with the continuous improvement of electrification, electric actuators have slowly immersed themselves in the pneumatic field. Applications both compete and complement each other. In this column, we will compare the respective advantages and technical performance of cylinders and electric actuators from several aspects such as technical performance, purchase and application costs, energy efficiency, application occasions and market situation.





As we all know, compared with electric actuators, cylinders can work reliably under harsh conditions, are simple to operate, and are basically maintenance-free. The cylinder is good at reciprocating linear motion, and is especially suitable for the most common transmission requirement in industrial automation - the linear transportation of workpieces. Moreover, stable speed control can be easily achieved by simply adjusting the one-way throttle valves installed on both sides of the cylinder, which has become the biggest feature and advantage of the cylinder drive system. Therefore, for users who do not have multi-point positioning requirements, most of them prefer to use cylinders from the perspective of ease of use. At present, most of the applications of electric actuators in industrial sites require high-precision multi-point positioning. This is because it is difficult to achieve it with a cylinder, so the second best is the result.​





Electric actuators are mainly used for rotation and swing conditions. Its advantage lies in its fast response time and precise control of speed, position and torque through the feedback system. However, when linear motion needs to be completed, transmission conversion needs to be carried out through mechanical devices such as toothed belts or screw rods. Therefore, the structure is relatively complex, and it requires high requirements for the working environment and the professional knowledge of operation and maintenance personnel.






The advantages of the cylinder are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:


(1) The requirements for users are lower. The principle and structure of the cylinder are simple, easy to install and maintain, and have low requirements on users. The electric cylinder is different. Engineers must have certain electrical knowledge, otherwise it is very likely to be damaged due to misoperation.


(2) Large output force. The output force of the cylinder is proportional to the square of the cylinder diameter;while the output force of the electric cylinder is related to three factors, the cylinder diameter, the power of the motor and the pitch of the screw rod. The larger the cylinder diameter and power, and the smaller the pitch, the greater the output force. A cylinder with a bore of 50mm has a theoretical output force of up to 2000N. For electric cylinders with the same bore, although the products of different companies vary, they basically do not exceed 1000N. Obviously, the cylinder has more advantages in terms of output force.


(3) Strong adaptability. The cylinder can work normally in high and low temperature environments and is dustproof and waterproof, and can adapt to various harsh environments. Because electric cylinders have a large number of electrical components, they have higher environmental requirements and poor adaptability.​





The advantages of electric cylinders are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:


(1) The system structure is very simple. Since the motor is usually integrated with the cylinder, plus the controller and cables, the entire system of the electric cylinder is composed of these three parts, which is simple and compact.


(2) The number of stopping positions is large and the control accuracy is high. Generally, electric cylinders are divided into low-end and high-end. Low-end products have 3, 5, 16, 64 stopping positions, etc., which vary according to different companies;high-end products can reach hundreds or even thousands of positions. . In terms of accuracy, electric cylinders also have absolute advantages, with positioning accuracy up to 0.05mm, so they are often used in precision industries such as electronics and semiconductors.


(3) Strong flexibility. There is no doubt that the flexibility of electric cylinders is much stronger than that of air cylinders. Since the controller can be directly connected to the PLC, it can achieve precise control of the motor's speed, positioning and forward and reverse rotation. To a certain extent, the electric cylinder can move as needed;due to the compressibility of the gas and the Due to inertia, no matter how good the cooperation between the reversing valve and the magnetic switch is, the cylinder cannot be accurately positioned, and flexibility is out of the question.





The above is the difference between cylinders and electric actuators. The main advantages of cylinders and electric actuators are introduced. If you want to know more related information, please log in to Sunway Pneumatic www.diancifa.cc.