K. J.

Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77

(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

Introduction to Automation and

Course Name: Semester: VI
Mechatronics Laboratory
Date of Performance: 11/03/24 Batch No: A3
Faculty Name: Prof. Sandeep Hanumante Roll No: 16010222804
Faculty Sign & Date: Grade/Marks:

Experiment No: 7
Title: Automation of Double Acting Pneumatic cylinder

Aim and Objective of the Experiment:

1. Design and development of electro-pneumatic circuits to control multiple DACs in semi and
fully automatic mode.
2. Applications of DCV and FCV.

COs to be achieved:
CO3. Design PLC based Mechatronics systems.
CO4. Analyze and design basic pneumatic circuits for industrial applications.

Theory:
Pneumatic cylinders, rotary actuators and air motors provide the force and movement for the
most of pneumatic systems, for holding, moving, forming, and processing of materials. To
operate and control these actuators, other pneumatic components are needed such as air
service units for the preparation of the compressed air and valves for the control of the
pressure, flow and direction of movement of the actuators. A basic pneumatic system
consists of the following two main sections.
• Compressed air production, transportation, and distribution system
• Compressed air consuming system
The main components of the compressed air production, transportation, and distribution
system consist of air compressor, electric motor and motor control Centre, pressure switch,
check valve, storage tank, pressure gauge, auto drain, air dryer, filters, air lubricator,
pipelines, and different types of valves. The main components of air consuming system
consist of intake filter, compressor, air take off valve, auto drain, air service unit, directional
valve, actuators, and speed controllers.
Intake filter also known as air filter is used to filter out the contaminants from the air.
Air compressor converts the mechanical energy of an electric or combustion motor into the
potential energy of compressed air. There are several types of compressors which are used in
the compressed air systems. Compressors used for generation of compressed air is selected
on the basis of desired maximum delivery pressure and the required flow rate of the air The
types of compressors in the compressed air systems are (i) piston or reciprocating
compressors, (ii) rotary compressors, (iii) centrifugal compressors, and (iv) axial flow
compressors. Reciprocating compressors are (i) single stage or double stage piston

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24

 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77
(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

compressor, and (ii) diaphragm compressor. Rotary compressors are (i) sliding vane
compressor, and (ii) screw compressor.
Electric motor transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is used to drive the air
compressor.
The compressed air coming from the compressor is stored in the air receiver. The purpose of
air receiver is to smooth the pulsating flow from the compressor. It also helps the air to cool
and condense the moisture present. The air receiver is to be large enough to hold all the air
delivered by the compressor. The pressure in the receiver is held higher than the system
operating pressure to compensate pressure loss in the pipes. Also the large surface area of the
receiver helps in dissipating the heat from the compressed air.
For satisfactory operation of the pneumatic system the compressed air needs to be cleaned
and dried. Atmospheric air is contaminated with dust, smoke and is humid. These particles
can cause wear of the system components and presence of moisture may cause corrosion.
Hence it is essential to treat the air to get rid of these impurities. Further during compression
operation, air temperature increases. Therefore, cooler is used to reduce the temperature of
the compressed air. The water vapor or moisture in the air is separated from the air by using
a separator or air dryer.
The air treatment can be divided into three stages. In the first stage, the large sized particles
are prevented from entering the air compressor by an intake filter. The air leaving the
compressor may be humid and may be at high temperature. The compressed air from the
compressor is treated in the second stage. In this stage temperature of the compressed air is
lowered using a cooler and the air is dried using a dryer.
Air drying system can be adsorption type, absorption type, refrigeration type, or the type that
uses semi permeable membranes. Also an inline filter is provided to remove any contaminant
particles present. This treatment is called primary air treatment. In the third stage which is
the secondary air treatment process, further filtering is carried out.
Lubrication of moving parts of cylinder and valves is very essential in pneumatic system. For
this purpose compressed air lubricators are used ahead of pneumatic equipment. Lubricator
introduces a fine mist of oil into the compressed air. This helps in lubrication of the moving
components of the system to which the compressed air is applied. Correct grade of
lubricating oil usually are with kinematic viscosity around 20- 50 centistokes.
Control valves are used to regulate, control and monitor for control of direction flow,
pressure etc. The main function of the control valve is to maintain constant downstream
pressure in the air line, irrespective of variation of upstream pressure. Due to the high
velocity of the compressed air flow, there is flow-dependent pressure drop between the
receiver and load (application). Hence the pressure in the receiver is always kept higher than
the system pressure. At the application site, the pressure is regulated to keep it constant.
There are three ways to control the local pressures which are given below.
• In the first method, load vents the air into atmosphere continuously. The pressure
regulator restricts the air flow to the load, thus controlling the air pressure. In this type of
pressure regulation, some minimum flow is required to operate the regulator. If the load is a
dead end type which draws no air, the pressure in the receiver rises to the manifold pressure.
These type of regulators are called as ‘non-relieving regulators’, since the air must pass
through the load.
• In the second type, load is a dead end load. However the regulator vents the air into
atmosphere to reduce the pressure. This type of regulator is called as ‘relieving regulator’.

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24

 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77
(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

• The third type of regulator has a very large load. Hence its requirement of air volume
is very high and cannot be fulfilled by using a simple regulator. In such cases, a control loop
comprising of pressure transducer, controller and vent valve is used. Due to large load the
system pressure may rise above its critical value. It is detected by a transducer. Then the
signal is processed by the controller which directs the valve to be opened to vent out the air.
This technique is also used when it is difficult to mount the pressure regulating valve close to
the point where pressure regulation is needed.
Air cylinders and motors are the actuators which are used to obtain the required movements
of mechanical elements of pneumatic system. Actuators are output devices which convert
energy from compressed air into the required type of action or motion. In general, pneumatic
systems are used for gripping and/or moving operations in various industries. These
operations are carried out by using actuators. Actuators can be classified into three types
which are (i) linear actuators which convert pneumatic energy into linear motion, (ii) rotary
actuators which convert pneumatic energy into rotary motion, and (iii) actuators to operate
flow control valves- these are used to control the flow and pressure of fluids such as gases,
steam or liquids. The construction of hydraulic and pneumatic linear actuators is similar.
However they differ at their operating pressure ranges. Typical pressure of hydraulic
cylinders is about 100 kg/sq mm and that of pneumatic cylinders is around 10 kg/sq mm.

Circuit Diagram/ Block Diagram:

Multiple DAC Full Automation Circuit:

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24

 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77
(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

Stepwise-Procedure:
1. Simulate Pneumatic circuits in Fluidsim
2. Use DCV and FCV as control element.

Output snaps:
Multiple DACs semi and Full Automation O/P snap on FLUIDSIM:

Post Lab Subjective/Objective type Questions:

1. What is the difference between 5/2 DCV and 5/3 DCV?

5/2 DCV (5-way, 2-position Directional Control Valve):
This type of valve has five ports and two positions. The five ports are typically labelled P (Pressure),
A (Outlet to Actuator), B (Outlet to Tank), EA (Exhaust from Actuator), and EB (Exhaust from B).
In the 5/2 DCV, there are two possible positions: one position allows the flow of fluid from the
pressure port (P) to one of the actuator ports (A or B), and the other position allows the flow from
the actuator to exhaust.

5/3 DCV (5-way, 3-position Directional Control Valve):

Similar to the 5/2 DCV, the 5/3 DCV also has five ports. However, it has three possible positions.
The three positions typically include the neutral or centre position, where the flow paths are blocked.

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24

 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77
(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

The other two positions allow fluid flow between different combinations of ports, enabling more
complex control of actuators.

2. Differentiate between Pneumatic circuits and Hydraulic circuits.

Here are the key differences between pneumatic circuits and hydraulic circuits:

1. Working Fluid:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Use compressed air (usually dry and filtered) as the working
fluid.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Use hydraulic fluid (usually oil) as the working fluid.
2. Fluid Density:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Air is less dense than hydraulic fluid, resulting in lower power
transmission capabilities compared to hydraulic systems.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Hydraulic fluid is denser, allowing for higher power density and
the transmission of greater force.
3. Pressure Levels:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Operate at lower pressure levels, typically ranging from a few
bar (for light applications) to around 10 bar.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Operate at higher pressure levels, often exceeding 100 bar and
sometimes reaching several hundred bar, allowing for more powerful applications.
4. Speed of Operation:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Tend to operate at higher speeds compared to hydraulic systems,
making them suitable for applications requiring rapid response and fast cycling.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Generally operate at lower speeds due to the higher viscosity of
hydraulic fluid.
5. Control Valves:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Control valves are often smaller and lighter due to lower
pressures and flow rates.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Control valves are designed to handle higher pressures and flow
rates, resulting in larger and heavier components.
6. Leakage:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Air is less likely to contaminate the environment if there are
leaks, but leaks can still affect performance.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Hydraulic fluid leaks can be more problematic, as they may lead
to environmental contamination and affect system efficiency.
7. Application Areas:
• Pneumatic Circuits: Commonly used in applications where lower power and faster
response times are acceptable, such as in manufacturing automation, robotics, and
certain industrial processes.
• Hydraulic Circuits: Preferred for applications requiring higher power, precise control,
and the ability to handle heavy loads, such as in construction equipment, heavy
machinery, and certain industrial processes.

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24

 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai-77
(A Constituent College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University)
Department of Electronics Engineering

Conclusion:
In summary, the experiment enhanced our understanding of the practical applications of
pneumatic systems and mechatronics, laying the foundation for future endeavors in the field.
The integration of theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience is crucial for students to
develop a well-rounded skill set in automation and mechatronics.

Signature of faculty in-charge with Date:

IAM Lab Semester: VI Academic Year: 2023-24