Anyone with experience of using pneumatic actuators?

[jongood]

Our step motor has failed, its a 12v electric actuator pushing a bespoke hinged step over. I cant easily buy a replacement and Ive always thought that it was a bit slower than I would like and my chassis has air brakes, suspension and seating so thinking about installing a pneumatic actuator with a 3 way solenoid valve? Does anyone have any experience with using/speccing pneumatic actuators?

 

[jongood]

So having recently explored how to upload, here is the step working by air.

 

[fishplug]

Wow! That's fantastic and makes a really satisfying noise!

How much of a faff was it to do in the end?

 

[Jofang]

Pneumatics are easy to control if you know the technology. I was one of Festo's installation engineers when I lived in South Africa, so your solution is simple to me. To control the speed of deployment a small hydraulic cylinder with flow control valves on a closed loop with the pneumatic cylinder will give as much speed regulation as you could ever want. For the pneumatic cylinder a simple pneumatic directional hand switch. Diameter of the pneumatic cylinder depends upon pressure available and force required to deploy and retract steps. You could also add as much sophistication as you desire with other control valves.

 

[L' Hobo]

So having recently explored how to upload, here is the step working by air.

Sorry, only just seen this thread but for future reference, Coach & London Bus doors work (or used to) using a similar air ram technology so a bus scrapyard might be worth visiting (theres a big one Bradford way)

PS. I still have some brand new door air valves somewhere if they might help but I think they are 24v?

PPS. Could that have been why your old step was slow, a lot of old 24v stuff would work off 12v but very slowly?

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[bigtwin]

PS. I still have some brand new door air valves somewhere if they might help but I think they are 24v?

Jon’s truck is 24V (IIRC).

Ian

 

[L' Hobo]

Jon’s truck is 24V (IIRC).

Ian

Shouldn't be a problem then.

 

[jongood]

Wow! That's fantastic and makes a really satisfying noise!

How much of a faff was it to do in the end?

Once I got my head around it was fairly straightforward. Wrekin Pneumatics, ( thanks to Richard rb62 ) sourced the ram, valve and pipes for about £200 a local engineer altered the bracketry a bit £35 and I bought a couple of air fittings and a remote control off amazon. So now I just click the fob and up or down it goes, we re 2 months into a 3 month trip and its worked perfectly.