Pneumatic speed
 

Is there a way I can get my pneumatic pistons to extend faster? Were trying to use a pneumatic kicker to kick balls this year and a teemmate is afraid it won't extend fast enough. I read that we don't have a CV limit this year if we get solenoids with higher CV will that help? Any ideas are welcome please

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

Yep, higher CV solenoids will definitely help.

Alternatively, you may want to consider using smaller, thinner sliders and just using more them paired with solenoids.

As I recall, the AndyMark crew tested this with six cylinders/solneoids and didn't find the success they were looking for, but you may see similar results with pre-charging.

- Sunny G.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

These solenoids from Mcmaster look decent, they have a .75 Cv, which is a lot more than the ones you get from Andymark or Vex. http://www.mcmaster.com/#6124k511/=q621ve

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

There are ways to use pistons you have and sort of 'trick physics' to get them to extend faster. If you had two pistons that were somehow connected so that one side was facing one way and another side was facing the other, you could get the pistons to extend or retract at the same time and therefore theoretically get twice the retraction or extension speed from two pistons than from one. It was an idea I got from 1986 last year and our team probably won't be doing this, but I would love to see a prototype of this:D

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

I don't believe that Titanium did that for speed, I believe it was done so they could have more than 2 positions for their shots to be angled at...The problem with connecting them in the way you envision is that I don't see a method to secure the cylinders in the middle in any particular way. You would have to find a method to securely mount the rod to one end, and the other rod for the "punch" as well as have the bulk of the system moving.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

Yo dude, they have threads on both ends.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

Who said the pistons had to punch the ball or even apply force directly. Also I know Titanium did not use this for speed. I'm just saying this was the other useful option I can see in the design.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

I believe CalTran meant that if they were suspended say in the air, the extending shafts could easily bend or break under their own weight or momentum. Thanks for standing up for my idea though. Appreciate it:D

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

To "help" the cylinder's piston extend much faster, perhaps something like a spring or latex tubing can be used to 'pull' it out...

Gee, you don't even need to supply air to it, just release it somehow to extend (under spring power) and let the air out of the other end. Then pressurize the other end to retract it and stretch the spring agai for the next shot.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

You mean like a spring piston? I believe Bimba sells them.

Do the spring pistons have the same power and speed as the air ones? I'm not as familiar with the spring as I am the regular ones

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

Review the principles behind a trebuchet

Here's a link that has a good explanation.

http://www.gearseds.com/files/constr...anual_rev5.pdf

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

You probably won't find a spring piston that's as strong as springs you can buy. This is mainly because the spring tension is reset by the compressor pushing air into the other end. Air pressure can only cause so much force. You can honestly find springs a lot stronger. Also spring pistons take up a lot of space for a small stroke length. The stroke lengths are shorter because about a third of the room in the cylinder houses the spring. The final problem is that spring pistons don't really shoot out much faster than a normal piston. This is mainly because the spring still has to push out the air that pushed it to its stored energy state. Basically the only thing I think they're good for is that it saves air pressure because only one side of the piston releases air.
Then again you should check to see yourself. Don't believe everything you see on Chief Delphi. Though its a good resource, you should do your own research to make sure. I'm pretty sure I'm right but you may find a spring piston that works awesome for this game. See if you can shut me up :D

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

don't mean to give away my team's ideas, but all you need to do to get an air cylinder to move faster is resist it--latch it or hold the ball down or something--until it has more pressure in it. Then you let go.

Lots of ways to hold it down for a little while.

Re: Pneumatic speed
 

...so you're saying overpressure the pneumatic? ::safety::