wcbranham-header
715-426-2000
AskWCB@wcbranham.com
  • Blog
  • Downloads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Air Over Oil Intensifiers
  • Caliper Disc Brakes
  • Pneumatic Linear Actuators
  • Right Angle Gearboxes
  • Custom Products
  • Air Over Oil Intensifiers
    • Model 1777 - 5:1
    • Model 1781 - 9:1
    • Model 1778 - 10:1
    • Model 1780 - 18:1
    • Model 1779 - 20:1
    • Model 1782 - 36:1
    • OVLBOOST® 44mm 7:1
  • Caliper Disc Brakes
    • Pneumatic Brakes
    • Hydraulic Brakes
    • Mechanical Brakes
    • Pneumatic Spring Applied Brakes
    • Hydraulic Spring Applied Brakes
    • Dual Function Brakes
    • Brake Disc and Hub Assemblies
    • Brake Repair Kits and Spare Parts
  • Pneumatic Linear Actuators
    • OVLPRO® Low Profile Rod Air Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Standard Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Compact & Short Stroke Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Round Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Stainless Steel Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Stopper Cylinders
    • ARTEC® Pneumatic Grippers
    • ARTEC® Accessories
    • DURATRK® Band Type
    • MAGTEC® Magnetically Coupled Type
    • PNEU-SA® Enclosed Cable Type
    • Rodless Cable Air Cylinders
    • Guided Cable Air Cylinders
    • Single-Acting Cable Air Cylinders
    • Linear Tension Cable Air Cylinders
    • Branham Cylinder Repair Kits
  • Right Angle Gearboxes
    • MICROGEAR®
    • INCLUDE-A-SHAFT®
    • INSERT-A-SHAFT®
    • INSERT-A-SHAFT® METRIC
    • INSERT-A-SHAFT® CRL
    • INSERT-A-SHAFT® CRL Washdown
    • INSERT-A-SHAFT® Stainless Steel
    • GLIDE RIGHT™ Crossover
    • Spiral Bevel
    • Worm - BWG4™
  • Custom Products
  • Our Company
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Blog
Contact Us
Downloads FAQ Terms & Conditions Privacy
WC Branham
  • Air Over Oil Intensifiers
  • Caliper Disc Brakes
  • Pneumatic Linear Actuators
  • Right Angle Gearboxes
  • Custom Products

What's the Difference Between a Hydraulic Actuator and a Pneumatic Linear Actuator?

Published by Troy Branham on Apr 11 ,2023

Linear actuators (or cylinders) are responsible for converting energy from a power source (air, liquid, or electricity) into force, and depending on the size of your application, the energy source you use will differ. There's a variety of types of actuators available: hydraulic (fluid-based), pneumatic (air pressure-based), or even electric. You can read more about when it is appropriate to use electric actuators here. For now, we’re delving into the main differences between hydraulic and pneumatic actuators and their distinctive advantages/disadvantages:

  • Hydraulic actuators use hydraulic fluid, meaning they can hold torque and force without continuous application of fluid pressure. However, they can leak–and the leaked fluid invites contamination.
  • Pneumatic actuators  are ideal for applications that require less power and more consistent, reliable, linear motion. They use compressed air, so they don’t require a hydraulic system.

Read on to learn more about the pros, cons, and differences between hydraulic and pneumatic actuators.

Hydraulic Actuators

Hydraulic cylinders can produce tremendous force because hydraulic fluid can achieve much  higher pressures consistently.. This is essential for operating heavy construction equipment, for example. They can produce as much as 25x the force that a pneumatic cylinder can generate, as well as higher horsepower per weight. One of their main advantages is their ability to hold torque and force without the continuous application of fluid pressure from the power source. Hydraulic fluids can more readily be used within a closed system. This is because fluids are not compressible like air.

On the downside, hydraulic actuators can leak, and the leaked fluid invites contamination that can cause damage to internal or external working parts. It also takes an assortment of other equipment to operate hydraulics – motors, pumps, fluid reservoirs, etc. Hydraulic systems can  also be very noisy, even when outfitted with noise-reduction equipment. These factors, and the fact that they don’t do well in extreme weather due to their fluid-powered nature, can make hydraulic actuators too unwieldy and unrealistic for many environments.

Pneumatic Actuators

Pneumatic cylinders are driven by air pressure rather than fluid. Pressurized air is less costly and more readily available than hydraulic systems; however, air can sometimes be less efficient as a power source because it can be compressed, causing the actuator to lose pressure. The air compressor that powers a pneumatic actuator must be located relatively close by, and it has to run continuously. It is also possible for the air to become contaminated by equipment lubricants, which increases the risk of damage. Luckily, there are preventative measures you can take to reduce the risk of damage.

The bottom line is that pneumatic actuators operate at lower pressures and speeds than hydraulic cylinders. For many applications, though, this is an advantage: pneumatic cylinders provide highly reliable, consistent linear motion, with accuracy tolerances within 0.1 inches and repeatability tolerances within .001 inches. They can also perform just as well in extremely high or low temperatures, which would cripple fluid-based hydraulic actuators. In addition, because pneumatic actuators have no motor and use no hazardous materials, they can easily meet mechanical safety requirements and are even approved for food processing applications.

In many industrial applications, moving machinery–and controlling that movement consistently–is what matters most. Pneumatic actuators, or cylinders, are often ideal for these applications. To achieve maximum efficiency, it is important to size pneumatic actuators accurately for the job at hand. W.C. Branham manufactures several different types of pneumatic actuators, each available in a variety of bore sizes.

As of 2022, W. C. Branham has been partnered with ARTEC as their sole distributor in the US and Canada of ISO & UNITOP Pneumatic Cylinders. Because they meet such strict international standards regarding size, materials, and durability, they are also interchangeable with a number of existing W. C. Branham product lines such as:

  • OVLPRO™ - Low Profile Rod Air

 

  • MAGTEC® - Magnetically Coupled-Type
  • pneU-SA® - Enclosed Cable-Type
  • DURATRK™ - Band-Type

While pneumatic cylinders may be the best choice for your industrial application, choosing the right one(s) for your project can be complex. No worries–if you need help spec’ing, W.C. Branham is happy to help.

click here to download the guide to air cylinders

Tags: Pneumatic Actuators
Back to Blog
  • Tweet

Subscribe here

Topics

  • Actuators (10)
  • Air Over Oil Intensifier (3)
  • Brakes (8)
  • Caliper Disc Brakes (33)
  • Custom Manufacturing (11)
  • Cylinder Repair (1)
  • Cylinders (15)
  • Food-Grade Applications (1)
  • Gearboxes (6)
  • Hyperloop (10)
  • Industrial Brakes (4)
  • ISO Cylinder (4)
  • Linear Brakes (1)
  • Pneumatic Actuators (61)
  • Pneumatic Cylinder (1)
  • Pneumatic Door Operators (5)
  • Right Angle Gearbox (27)
  • Videos (14)
  • Working at W.C. Branham (8)
  • Worm Gearbox (1)
see all topics

Top Posts

Related Articles

When Would I Use a Hydraulic Cable Linear Actuator?

There is a wide variety of pneumatic products on the market that nicely suits almost any industrial...
Read More

Pneumatic Actuators: Cable, Magnetically Coupled, or Band Type Rodless Cylinders?

Once you have decided that pneumatic actuators are the best choice for your industrial automation...
Read More

Linear vs Rotary Actuators: Which is Best for My Application?

Without actuators, everything would come to a standstill. That’s because actuators make things...
Read More
wcb-logo-reverse-vertical-tag-reg2

Products

  • Air Over Oil Intensifiers
  • Caliper Disc Brakes
  • Pneumatic Linear Actuators
  • Right Angle Gearboxes
  • Custom Products

Resources

  • Careers
  • Downloads
  • Blog
  • FAQ
  • Contact
800-428-1974 (Toll-free US & Canada)
715-426-2000 (Main)
715-426-1400 (Fax)
AskWCB@wcbranham.com
W.C. Branham, Inc.
398 Troy Street
River Falls, WI 54022
© 2023 W.C. Branham, Inc. All rights reserved.   ARTEC® is a trademark of Artec S.R.L. Cento (FE) Italy