Rodless Cylinder

[kmcclary]

sanddrag
What is a rodless pneumatic cylinder?

They're also called "Air Muscles"...

Mechanically, imagine a cylindrical balloon in a fishnet mesh wrapper, like a bag of oranges, or the chinese finger trap. When you inflate the balloon with pressure, the center of it expands. However, the mesh wrapper attempts to keep the balloon the same volume. The shape changes from cylindrical toward spherical, with constant surface area. Therefore, as the center inflates, the ends of the mesh wrapper must pull toward each other.

If one side of the mesh is attached to the inflation nozzle end, and the other end to a metal collar, ring, or other attachment endpiece, they'll pull toward each other as the muscle inflates.

Now that you see that, dip the mesh wrapper in rubber. The mesh/rubber combo now is more like the reinforcing belts within a vehicle tire. However, it still works the same way. The rubber simply creates a protective coating over the flexing mesh. I believe this is the kind of Air Muscle Festo provides, but I'd have to check to be sure.

If you wish to make an Air Muscle for yourself, check out this page:
http://www.imagesco.com/articles/air...ription01.html

I think it would be VERY cool if the Allowed Extra Materials list would allow the creation of Air Muscles!

- Keith