A review on recent research trends in servo pneumatic positioning systems

Servo pneumatic systems are widely utilized for obtaining accurate position control in many industrial drives. Such technology has the potential to replace electro mechanical and hydraulic drives in many applications. The main drawback of this technology is the high nonlinear nature of pneumatic drives which affects the system dynamics. It is very necessary to enhance the pneumatic drives by reducing its stochastic nature. The major causes for the non-linearity in pneumatic drives are owing to the pressure dynamics inside the pneumatic cylinder chambers, the frictional force variations and the compressed air flow rates through the valves. In the present study, an endeavor has been made to perform a detailed survey on various aspects in the efficient position control of the pneumatic cylinder. The history, applications, performance tests, component selection, modelling and accurate control of the servo pneumatic systems have also been discussed with the aim to improve the efficiency and the positioning accuracy of the linear pneumatic drive. It has been inferred that a lot of research attentions has to be given for enhancing the performance measures in servo pneumatic positioning systems by reducing the nonlinear nature of the pneumatic systems.