Cushioning the impact in pneumatic cylinders

Pneumatic cylinders put their interior hardware through quite a stress test. To lessen the effects those stresses have on shortening the cylinder's operational life and causing maintenance problems, engineers at Ace Controls Inc., Farmington Hills, Mich. (www.acecontrols.com), developed NuCushions. The two cushions attach to the head and cap sides of the pistons inside pneumatic cylinders. They require no maintenance, cost less than alternatives such as pneumatic cushions, and help reduce reaction forces when the piston face hits the head or cap. They also prevent noise and cushion metal-to-metal contact. The cushions meet all industry standards and should survive 3 million cycles or more. The devices compensate for changes in velocity and pressure, letting one set of NuCushions handle a cylinder's entire operational range. NuCushions install inside NFPA pneumatic cylinders and will survive any temperatures and chemical exposure the cylinders will.