Application of Passive Dynamic Control to Pneumatic Cylinders

The passive dynamic control ("PDC") is a new mechanical system control method using variable passive elements with less energy and more safety. In the study described in this paper, the PDC is applied to a pneumatic cylinder for positioning control. When an object is stopped in the intermediate position by a pneumatic control and an electromagnetic friction brake, the unbalance force is cut to zero and the balanced state is achieved. Thus, high-rigidity positioning is achieved and the object can be moved to the next position. In this paper, the authors also propose a method of improving the internal pressure control precision for the cylinder.