Piston Air Motors

Air drives come in many forms, rotary vane drives that are used particularly in workshop tools like air wrenches, radial piston air motors used particularly for small servo motor applications and axial piston air motors that we will be talking about today.

The axial piston air motor has been developed for the heavier end of the pneumatic power motor range and operate normally with a lubricated compressed air supply in the ½ to 3 hp rated power range. Continue reading →

In previous articles, we have set out the benefits of air piston motors that included a low-inertia rotor, the maximum torque is developed at start-up, high efficiency, low noise,  and safe in hazardous environments.  These properties can be good use to provide an excellent stepper motor arrangement as a practical and superior alternative to electric stepper motors in certain applications on the shop floor or in hospitals and clinics.  If you have ever had a CT scan in hospital, you may well have been ‘manipulated into various positions on a moving table by an air piston motor application.  The only noise you heard was the piped ‘musac’ in the scan room. Continue reading →

Small air pistons have found themselves into a diverse range of applications, some of which are really surprising.  Their low inertia rotors make for instant response and easy controllability and this finds applications as a stepping motor controllable to within a degree of arc in association with reduction gearboxes and helical gearing. Continue reading →