Air Cylinders vs. Electric Cylinders vs. Hydraulic Cylinders
The use of Air vs. Electrical or Hydraulic cylinders/actuators is application specific, site specific, and a cost specific decision. Additional contributing factors when determining the cylinder/actuator median include issues such as safety, reliability, maintenance schedule, etc. Due to the fact that air cylinders can operate without electricity, there is no chance of spark generation. This makes pneumatic actuators ideal for hazardous environment use, i.e., methane or natural gas applications.
