I’m using a pneumatic for my endgame and my indexer, all the videos online make the pneumatic look really strong. But mine are pretty weak and sometimes can’t even release the expansion. Is there something I’m missing with them?
Check for leaks, check for bad pistons, check for kinks in the tubing. Also make sure you are charging your tank’s to 100 psi.
1 Like
First, please reference this post regarding terminology: If we're going to call an air cylinder a "pneumatic" then we should call V5 motors "electrics"!
Next, at 100 psi, the little VEX air cylinder generates about 12 lbs for force (which is calculated by multiplying the working psi by the surface area of the little piston inside the air cylinder). If your air cylinder is not moving, the most likely culprit is that you’re using an exhaust flow control valve in one end of your air cylinder, and you need to unscrew the little screw inside to open it up:
IMO, VEX shouldn’t even include these valves in the kit, but just replace them with straight fittings, which you could purchase here: https://www.smcpneumatics.com/KQ2S04-M5A.html
7 Likes
Can you send a picture of your air system. It’s possible you’re using a pressure limiter or flow regulator or not filling all the way.
1 Like
If you have one get rid of the pressure gauge, that fixed us.
This flow inhibitor will not decrease the amount of force the piston outputs,
I think the source of the problem is something else like a kink in the tubing, misuse of a pressure regulator, etc
When someone is referring to an air cylinder as either a “pneumatic” or a “piston,” I make the assumption they are new to using pneumatics based on the improper terminology, so we will take a look at all probable causes, based on the description which may or may not be entirely correct.
You are correct in your statement that the force exerted by the air cylinder is not decreased or affected by the flow control, but only if a long enough time has passed for the flow control to allow air to fully enter the air cylinder and pressurize it. For someone new to pneumatics, it might not be obvious that the air is entering the air cylinder so slowly that the air cylinder is not able to build up enough pressure.
1 Like
Fair enough, I forgot that turning the screw all the way in can restrict all of the ariflow. Without pictures of the system, we are only discussing hypotheticals. @Liem1 can we see some pictures?
1 Like