Pneumatic Motors In Tooling And Carpentry
Pneumatic motors are capable of converting energy stored in gaseous media, such as compressed air, into mechanical work or force. The linear motion for which they’re used can be produced by both piston and diaphragmatic actuators. Rotational or ‘torquing’ motion on the other hand, can be produced by a pneumatic piston motor or vane motor.
This latter variety is the kind used to start the natural gas engines used in heavy industry. When released, the nitrogen or natural gas stored in vane motors is allowed into a sealed chamber, where it puts pressure on the vanes of a rotor, much as if the vane were caught in an exceedingly high wind. As would be the case with a windmill, this results in the rotor turning, eliminating the need for natural spin-starting, as was once a common sight with old school monoplanes.
Piston-actuated pneumatic motors are the most common type. Functionally-speaking, pistons transfer force from expanding gas in the cylinder via a connecting rod attached to the crankshaft. The function of pistons in pneumatic pumps is markedly different, indeed, is the exact opposite from their function in a pneumatic motor. Instead, the force is deliberately transferred starting at the crankshaft, back to the piston, thus compressing fluids in the cylinder.
Often, pneumatic motors and other components are incorporated into devices for purposes separate to the central functioning of the motor or engine. Omec is one example of a company that incorporate both electromechanical and pneumatic motor components into relatively simple tools. Founded by Guieppe Tinti in 1964, the company has since become a point of reference for the high-efficiency woodworking and specialized milling machine markets, setting standards in its industry even as it continues to be a research and development champion, pushing the bounds of innovation.
Omec is probably best known for its excellent lines of dovetailing equipment. Dovetailing is one particularly technique of carpentry which, despite having been around since the pharaohs ruled Egypt, have benefited massively from the advent of specialized modern pattern-cutting technologies. A dovetail is a type of wooden joint known for its strength, and for the fact that, once components are glued in place, it doesn’t require the use of nails or screws to hold fast. Dovetails are used in the corners of built structures such as houses and chests, and involve the cutting of tapered, teeth-like protrusions and spaces that fit flush together like the pieces of a puzzle, and are virtually impossible to pull apart unless the applied force is exerted back in the direction from which they were slotted in.
Cutting dovetails requires an extremely high degree of accuracy, and thus manually delivering a snug fit between the end-pieces of dovetailed planks can call for a horrendous amount of planning and careful, refined sanding – actually doing it by hand is, these days, regarded either as a mark of great skill or great stupidity .
Omec’s. lines include manual dovetailers with cam-type clamping, as well as high efficiency automatic dovetailing machines with NC controls and pneumatic clamps, along with servo or ballscrew drives for dual-axis motion.
