ROBO TX ElectroPneumatic
COMPUTING
4
History
EN
Compressed air is one of the oldest forms of energy. Nearly 2500 years ago soldiers
built military equipment, which used compressed air to shoot projectiles such as balls
or spears.
Ctesibius from Alexandria in Egypt, (* 296 B.C. in Alexandria, † 228 B.C.), was a Greek
engineer, inventor and mathematician, who lived during the first half of the third cen-
tury before Christ and built weapons operated by compressed air.
It is therefore no wonder that the word "
Pneumatic
“ was taken from the Greek word
"
pneuma
“, which means "
air
“.
The first compressor was a bellows. In blacksmith shops in the middle ages and far
later, right up to today's modern industrial era, bellows have been used to increase the
temperature of a fire.
A
Today pneumatics play an essential role in modern industry. Pneumatically driven ma-
chines and automation equipment can be found everywhere. For example, on assem-
bly lines various parts are put together to form assemblies and the function is checked;
goods are sorted and packed.
Principles of pneumatics
Air can be used for different purposes in technology. For example wind drives gigantic
windmills to generate electrical power. Pneumatics uses air to generate motion and
transfer forces.
You are certainly familiar with at least one pneumatic tool - the air pump for your
bicycle tires. It is designed using the physical and technical principles of a cylinder, as
introduced in this construction set, for example using a compressor to generate com-
pressed air.
Producing motion with air
A number of pneumatic cylinders are included in the ElectroPneumatic construction
set. You need one of them for the first experiment.
Pneumatic cylinder from fischertechnik
The piston rod with piston can
move and is sealed along the cylin-
der wall by gaskets.
If you blow air into the cylinder
through connection A, the piston
moves.
Piston rod with
piston and spring
Hose connection A
Hose connection B
(not used)
Industrial cylinder
Summary of Contents for COMPUTING ROBO TX ElectroPneumatic
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