Hydraulic cylinder tips part 3
Author : Andrew Delaney Parker Hannifin
17 January 2013
Is your cylinder cushioning progressive?
The load attached to an unregulated cylinder stops abruptly when it meets a physical obstacle or when the piston in the cylinder reaches the end of its travel. The resulting shock is transmitted to the machine and/or cylinder, often with considerable force and noise.
In some simple applications, this is acceptable; however, in others, such as in assembly automation, more controlled acceleration and deceleration is required if shortened service life and compromised productivity are to be avoided.
By utilising the rising back pressure in the cylinder as it approaches the end of its stroke, system fluid can be used to create a progressive retarding effect as flow is reduced using a tapered ‘cushion’ valve.
Parker’s industrial hydraulic cylinders feature adjustable cushioning which allows the operator to compensate for variations in load, temperature and viscosity. Critically, where several cylinders are working together, adjustable cushioning allows fine tuning to ensure that cushion performance is correctly balanced.
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