Pneumatic cylinders can be found throughout automated assembly systems in pick-and-place devices, clamps, pushers, elevators and linear actuators. Fast and inexpensive, pneumatic cylinders are used when a light load must be moved repeatedly between two fixed positions.
But, they're not the only game in town. In many cases, electric cylinders are a better choice. "If you want smooth motion control and multiple positioning points, you need an electric cylinder," says Chris Prior, applications support engineer at IAI America Inc. (Torrance, CA). "An air cylinder typically stops at only two points. With an electric cylinder, you can program up to 64 points, and you have variable control over acceleration and velocity."