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WhatstheDifferencebetweenPneumatic,Hydraulic,and
ElectricalActuators?
MachineDesign
CarlosGonzalez
Thu,2015041611:51

Alinearactuatormovesaload,whichcanbeanassembly,components,orafinishedproduct,inastraight
line.Itconvertsenergyintoamotionorforceandcanbepoweredbypressurizedfluidorair,aswellas
electricity.
Hereisabreakdownofcommonlinearactuators,theiradvantagesandtheirdisadvantages.
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HowTheyWork
Pneumaticlinearactuatorsconsistofapistoninsideahollowcylinder.Pressurefromanexternal
compressorormanualpumpmovesthepistoninsidethecylinder.Aspressureincreases,thecylindermoves
alongtheaxisofthepiston,creatingalinearforce.Thepistonreturnstoitsoriginalpositionbyeithera
springbackforceorfluidbeingsuppliedtotheothersideofthepiston.
Hydrauliclinearactuatorsoperatesimilarlytopneumaticactuators,butanincompressibleliquidfroma

pumpratherthanpressurizedairmovesthecylinder.
Anelectriclinearactuatorconvertselectricalenergyintotorque.Anelectricmotormechanicallyconnected

turnsaleadscrew.Athreadedleadorballnutwithcorrespondingthreadsthatmatchthoseofthescrewis
preventedfromrotatingwiththescrew.Whenthescrewrotates,thenutgetsdrivenalongthethreads.The
directionthenutmovesdependsonwhichdirectionthescrewrotatesandalsoreturnstheactuatortoits
originalposition.
PneumaticActuators
Advantages
Thebenefitsofpneumaticactuatorscomefromtheirsimplicity.Mostpneumaticaluminumactuatorshave

amaximumpressureratingof150psiwithboresizesrangingfromto8in.,whichtranslateinto
approximately30to7,500lb.offorce.Steelactuatorshaveamaximumpressureratingof250psiwithbore

sizesrangingfromto14in.,andtheygenerateforcesrangingfrom50to38,465lbf.
Pneumaticactuatorsgeneratepreciselinearmotionbyprovidingaccuracy,forexample,within0.1inches

andrepeatabilitywithin.001inches.
Pneumaticactuatorstypicalapplicationsinvolveareasofextremetemperatures.Atypicaltemperature

rangeis40Fto250F.Intermsofsafetyandinspection,byusingair,pneumaticactuatorsavoidusing
hazardousmaterials.Theymeetexplosionprotectionandmachinesafetyrequirementsbecausetheycreate
nomagneticinterferenceduetotheirlackofmotors.
Inrecentyears,pneumaticshasseenmanyadvancesinminiaturization,materials,andintegrationwith

electronicsandconditionmonitoring.Thecostofpneumaticactuatorsislowcomparedtootheractuators.
AccordingtoBimbaManufacturing,forexample,theaveragepneumaticactuatorcosts$50to$150.
Pneumaticactuatorsarealsolightweight,requireminimalmaintenance,andhavedurablecomponentsthat
makepneumaticsacosteffectivemethodoflinearmotion.
Disadvantages
Pressurelossesandairscompressibilitymakepneumaticslessefficientthanotherlinearmotionmethods.

Compressorandairdeliverylimitationsmeanthatoperationsatlowerpressureswillhavelowerforcesand
slowerspeeds.Acompressormustruncontinuallyoperatingpressureevenifnothingismoving.
Tobetrulyefficient,pneumaticactuatorsmustbesizedforaspecificjob.Hence,theycannotbeusedfor

otherapplications.Accuratecontrolandefficiencyrequiresproportionalregulatorsandvalves,butthis
raisesthecostsandcomplexity.
Eventhoughtheairiseasilyavailable,itcanbecontaminatedbyoilorlubrication,leadingtodowntimeand

maintenance.Companiesstillhavetopayforcompressedair,makingitaconsumable,andthecompressor
andlinesareanothermaintenanceissue.

HydraulicActuators
Advantages
Hydraulicactuatorsareruggedandsuitedforhighforceapplications.Theycanproduceforces25times

greaterthanpneumaticcylindersofequalsize.Theyalsooperateinpressuresofupto4,000psi.
Hydraulicmotorshavehighhorsepowertoweightratioby1to2hp/lbgreaterthanapneumaticmotor.
Ahydraulicactuatorcanholdforceandtorqueconstantwithoutthepumpsupplyingmorefluidorpressure

duetotheincompressibilityoffluids
Hydraulicactuatorscanhavetheirpumpsandmotorslocatedaconsiderabledistanceawaywithminimal

lossofpower.
Disadvantages
Hydraulicswillleakfluid.Likepneumaticactuators,lossoffluidleadstolessefficiency.However,hydraulic

fluidleaksleadtocleanlinessproblemsandpotentialdamagetosurroundingcomponentsandareas.
Hydraulicactuatorsrequiremanycompanionparts,includingafluidreservoir,motors,pumps,release

valves,andheatexchangers,alongwithnoisereductionequipment.Thismakesforlinearmotionssystems
thatarelargeanddifficulttoaccommodate.

ElectricalActuators
Advantages
Electricalactuatorsofferthehighestprecisioncontrolpositioning.Anexampleoftherangeofaccuracyis

+/0.000315in.andarepeatabilityoflessthan0.0000394in.Theirsetupsarescalableforanypurposeor
forcerequirement,andarequiet,smooth,andrepeatable.
Electricactuatorscanbenetworkedandreprogrammedquickly.Theyofferimmediatefeedbackfor

diagnosticsandmaintenance.
Theyprovidecompletecontrolofmotionprofilesandcanincludeencoderstocontrolvelocity,position,

torque,andappliedforce.
Intermsofnoise,theyarequieterthanpneumaticandhydraulicactuators
Becausetherearenofluidsleaksandenvironmentalhazardsareeliminated.

Disadvantages
Theinitialunitcostofanelectricalactuatorishigherthanthatofpneumaticandhydraulicactuators.

AccordingtotheexamplefromBimbaManufacturing,anelectricalactuatorcanrangefrom$150togreater
than$2,000dependingonitsdesignandelectronics.
Electricalactuatorsarenotsuitedforallenvironments,unlikepneumaticactuators,whicharesafein

hazardousandflammableareas
Acontinuouslyrunningmotorwilloverheat,increasingwearandtearonthereductiongear.Themotorcan

alsobelargeandcreateinstallationproblems.
Themotorchosenlocksintheactuatorsforce,thrust,andspeedlimitstoafixedsetting.Ifadifferentset

ofvaluesforforce,thrust,andspeedaredesired,themotormustbechanged.
SourceURL:http://machinedesign.com/linearmotion/whatsdifferencebetweenpneumatichydraulic
andelectricalactuators