Many applications require air motor technology due to the operational environment. ATEX zones, dusty conditions, high humidity, and even underwater applications make pneumatic motors the preferred choice over electric motors.
Another key advantage of an air motor is its compact design—it is 4 to 5 times smaller than an equivalent electric motor, making it ideal for confined spaces. This is a crucial factor for special machinery designers and onboard system engineers.
Additionally, air motors are significantly lighter, making them perfect for portable systems, manipulator robots, and automated deburring or painting robots.
For transportable mechanisms, where compressed air is the only available energy source, air motors eliminate the need for an additional power supply.
Furthermore, they are particularly efficient for frequent stop/start operations and applications requiring motor blocking during a cycle.
Certain applications require precision movement and low rotation speeds.
The challenge is converting a high-speed air motor (typically 9000–12,000 rpm) into a low-speed mechanism.
The solution? Integrating a gearbox.
There are two primary methods to achieve low-speed operation with an air motor:
➡️Advantages: Provides static irreversibility, preventing back-driving, and is a cost-effective solution.
➡️Drawbacks: Lower efficiency, larger size.
➡️Common Applications: Cranes, load tippers, welding machines, tarpaulin winding, hopper motorization, industrial washing machines, and drilling machines.
➡️Advantages: Extremely compact, high reliability, designed as a single integrated unit.
➡️Drawbacks: Limited maximum torque, depending on application requirements.
➡️Common Applications: Agitators, vibrators, winders, manipulator arms.
For applications requiring both high torque and compactness, integrating a torque limiter is essential. This protects the air motor from overload damage and allows precise torque control.
Two Air Motor Configurations with Torque Limiters:
➡️Torque limiter is placed between the pneumatic unit and the gearbox.
➡️Advantages: Lighter, optimized for small spaces
➡️Torque limiter is an external module at the motor’s end.
➡️Best for: Industrial machines where space constraints are not an issue.
modec low-speed air motors are widely used in industries such as:
✅Valve manufacturing (precise low-speed operation)
✅Aircraft industry (slow-moving conveyor systems)
✅Chemical refineries (hazardous environment suitability)
✅Water supply plants (high-torque operation) etc.
One key advantage of modec torque limiters is their customizability. Users can either:
• Automatically disengage the motor when the maximum torque is reached.
• Receive a signal when the limit is reached, allowing for manual control adjustments (e.g., reversing rotation or modifying air supply pressure).
Given that each business has specific needs, modec provides custom-designed air motors, ensuring optimal performance for low-speed, high-torque applications.
Implementing a low-speed air motor may seem complex due to the variety of available solutions, but the simplicity of pneumatic technology ensures efficiency and reliability.
With modec’s expertise in air motorization, you can find the best solution tailored to your application’s space, torque, and speed constraints.