CNC air regulator?

Jul 12, 2010 14 Replies

I'm working on a design for a machine that will make a number of different yet similar products. There will be 2 servos and a stepper to do the bull work yet there is one air cylinder that will provide pressure on material. The amount of pressure will vary from one product to another and from one kind of material to another. I'd like to automatically change the air pressure within the program for each product/material. Such a thing? No, I'm not going to build one. If it ain't off the shelf, it won't happen.


Two possibilities come to mind right off:-

1) You could get a proportional regulator.

Eg.

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2) A number of solenoid valves and manually set regulators.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

One nice unit. i could use that if it hasn't got a gold plated price tag. Have you ever got a quote on one?

Karl

There are electrically controlled regulators, they can take an analog output from a PLC or similar and control air pressure. We have them at work on our tire uniformity optimizers and balancers, I'll see if I can get some info on them. We have different inflate pressures depending on the tire being tested and the machines automatically adjusts. Of course there are also proportional valves and pressure transducers but you have to close the loop in the controller.

RogerN

Around $500 +/-. Not too bad, IMHO.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Sounds well within reason for use in a production machine that probably only needs one or two.

Also Bellofram

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and Festo and probably SMC.

And MAC, which is what I've used in the past. The Parker unit is very nice for the price though.

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If it just falls in there and works, and saves you the day or two of dinking around that a 'free' one would, most certainly.

Aw, c'mon. You just need a solenoid valve, a fancy PLC with high-speed PID, an accumulator and pressure feedback. Oh, and several days of dinking around, but it'll be fun so that won't matter.

Well, if there were only a few pressures you could set each pressure with manual regulators and select with valves.

A person might be able to do a pretty good job with a small air tank, a pressure transducer, and a valve or two. Inflate tank to pressure, shut off valve, when tank gets low, turn on valve automatically. Maybe an op amp with some hysteresis to compare setpoint and transducer?

RogerN

There are pressure regulators that accept 4-20MA and 0-10v signals. One of the lines I maintain has a bunch of them. I just can't tell you the model number from home atm.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

I'm thinking SMC for sure, maybe a ITV1000 or something in that series. Motion's web site isn't working for me at the moment. I was going to look up pricing.

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Wes

That would be one way. It's basically what a mechanical regulator does, except that the mechanical regulator does it -- well -- mechanically, and powered by the pressurized gas:

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I have no clue if anyone actually does this, mind, or if there's any sane reason to do so when mechanical regulators work so well.

But it'd be fun...

I've been seeing a few on ebay, I bid $8 on one this morning and it went for $16.XX. I found them listed under proportional regulator and I/P or E/P.

Here's one

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There are some Buy it now not too bad of price.
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There's a bunch here:

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RogerN

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