Buying Pneumatics

VEX Robotics Competition Discussion
1

Hello,
I am trying to put an order in to order pneumatics from my school teams. As pretty much everything that has to do with pneumatics is out of stock from vex, robotmesh, and the alternate resellers, I was planning to order them directly from SMC. This is legal from rule R8 in the game manual, which states that

Pneumatic components with identical SMC manufacturer part numbers to those listed on the VEX website

are allowed.

However, I have no experience with pneumatics, and I would have to order everything separately from SMC. Pneumatic tubing I have already ordered from Robosource, and I know that I would have to buy the solenoid drivers from vex. But I don’t have any experience with pneumatics, and I’m not sure what I would need to order.

Are there any parts that come in the kits from vex that I would not need?
And what parts would I need to order extra of?
Also, is there a good alternative to the rotating mounts that come with the kits?

Any help from people who have experience with pneumatics would be helpful.
And if it helps, I plan to order three reservoirs and six air cylinders.

2

If you click on the “Kit Contents” tab, it gives you the specific SMC part numbers. Good luck trying to find them though … it isn’t easy.

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3

You can check out radwell.com as a source, also motionindustries.com

Solenoids have to come for vex because they have a special voltage for the coil, along with the solenoid connector (control cable). There’s also some little brackets for the pneumatic cylinders, but you can Fab those from Vex metal yourself.

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4

I got a reservoir of of SMC’s website (they have other stuff too) but I dont know where you could get a three wire thingy to connect to the brain.
https://www.smcpneumatics.com/

5

The three wire connections are (as far as I know) vex made parts.

7

To find parts search the # in the vex page

https://www.smcpneumatics.com/

8

Hey Everybody,
Thanks for the replies.
I just want to clarify that I have already figured out how to find the SMC numbers from vex’s website and search them up on the smc website. I hadn’t heard of radwell.com or motionindustries.com, thanks for those @kmmohn. I am mostly looking for information on what I need would need to buy more of than what would come if I got three of the vex double acting cylinders kit.

9

Okay, outside of the kit, each team really could use a second reservoir. Robot mesh, when it’s in stock, will sell that stuff to anybody even outside their regular distribution area, and radwell stocks those reservoirs. radwell has them because they get used as surge tanks in industrial pneumatic instrumentation applications. It’s really just a regular pneumatic cylinder with two tail caps.

10

More tubing, more then one splitter (t fitting,), reservoir, reservoir fitting

11

The main issue with buying parts individually is you will not be able to source these two parts. They are vex parts, they can be bought from robotmesh individually though but for extra cost. There are work arounds by replicating those parts functions with custom parts.

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Part SMC Number Link to site In Stock? Qty
Solenoid Driver N/A, from vex https://store.robotmesh.com/vex-pneumatics-double-acting-solenoid No 2x
Solenoid Driver Cable N/A, from Vex https://www.vexrobotics.com/pneumatics.html?q=&locale.name=English#attr- vex_kit_contents Yes 2x
Tire Pump Fitting - Shraeder Valve With 4mm Tube Fittings N/A, from vex https://store.robotmesh.com/vex-robotics/pneumatics/vex-pneumatics-tire- pump-fitting No 1x
Reservoir, 1-1/2" X 4", w 1/8"NPT & M5 port US14227-S0400 https://www.smcpneumatics.com/US14227-S0400.html Yes 1x
On/Off Switch - Finger Valve VHK3-04F-04F https://www.smcpneumatics.com/VHK3-04F-04F.html Yes 1x
Pressure Regulator - Mini Regulator w/ 4mm Fittings A-474-0000005 https://www.radwell.com/en-US/Buy/SMC/SMC/A4740000005 Yes 1x
"T" Fitting for Valves KQ2T04-00 https://www.smcpneumatics.com/KQ2T04-00.html Yes 1x
Cylinder, Bi-directional - Dbl Acting Cylinder 10mm Bore NCJ2D10-200 https://www.smcpneumatics.com/NCJ2D10-200.html Allow 4 weeks for availability 2x
Solenoid, Fwd, Reverse - 5/2 Single Solenoid Valve, 5VDC SYJ3120-SMO-M3-F https://www.smcpneumatics.com/SYJ3120-SMO-M3-F.html Allow 4 weeks for Availability 2x
Flow Meter - M5 elbow meter out flow control 4mm tubing AS1201F-M5-04T https://www.smcpneumatics.com/AS1201F-M5-04T.html Yes 2x
Fitting for Valves - Fitting 4mm Tubing x M3 Thread KJS04-M3 https://www.smcpneumatics.com/KQ2S04-M3G.html Yes 6x
Fitting for Reservoir - 1/8 X 4mm Male Connector To Reservoir KQ2H03-34S https://www.smcpneumatics.com/KQ2H03-34S.html Yes 1x
Fitting for Cylinders - M5 Male Connector for Cylinders KQ2S04-M5 https://www.smcpneumatics.com/KQ2S04-M5.html Yes 2x

Okay, here is what I’ve got, all formatted in an table. The biggest problem is the solenoid drivers, which are out of stock from vex and robotmesh, and not sold by anyone else.
The quantity numbers are for one double acting kit.
Please let me know if you have any recommendations on other places to buy things, or anything similar.
I am never doing a table like that again.

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You don’t necessarily need those parts with the help of screws, bent parts, and washers (though it will be very cursed)

14

Driver cables back in stock.

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