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Air cylinders serve one of three purposes. They can be used to store compressed air, to compress air, or to convert compressed air energy into mechanical force. They are available in a wide range of designs, each engineered for various pressures and applications. These include diaphragm, adjustable stroke, miniature and double acting air cylinders.

Cylinders designed to convert compressed air to mechanical force typically do so by use of a spring and plunger. When pressurized air is sent into the cylinder, it propels the plunger, which drives a shaft outward. A compression spring is mounted on the plunger, and it compresses as the plunger moves. The force of the spring then drives the plunger back to its original position, allowing a new burst of compressed air to again drive it outward, again driving the attached shaft and compressing the air. The plungers in these air cylinders can be designed to stop at intermediate points during their stroke. This allows the shaft to move to a fixed position each time a certain amount of air pressure is applied, while moving to another under the force of a different pressure. The movement of the plunger and piston rod is facilitated by a set of bearings and a rolling diaphragm seal. During optimal performance, these parts move with extremely low friction and handle high load capacities.

Materials involved in the fabrication of air cylinders include rubber, stainless steel, plastics and aluminum. Many air cylinder systems incorporate a range of materials to achieve the multitude of necessary functions. Aluminum may provide the tube casing material, while the pistons are made of chrome-plated steel, inner bearings are brass, and the diaphragms are made of neoprene rubber. The fasteners used to hold the components of an air cylinder together are often corrosion-resistant, high-carbon alloys. As can be seen, an air cylinder is a very complex component. The fabrication of a single, heavy duty cylinder, involves a multitude of precision machining processes, and should be considered when assessing cost concerns.