UNIT-IV PNEUMATIC AND ELECTRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS

DESIGN OF MULTI-ACTUATOR PNEUMATIC CIRCUITS-

CASCADE METHOD

COURSE INSTRUCTOR:
R.THIRUPPATHI M.E.,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
SRI ESHWAR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CLASS & SECTION: III YEAR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SUBJECT: HYDRAULICS AND PNEUMATICS
 Multi actuator Circuits

Simple one-Double acting actuator Multi Actuators with sequence of

Pneumatic circuit operations
 Design of Multi- Actuator Circuits
• The following methods are used to design multi-
actuator Circuits for Engineering problems.
 Cascade Method
 Classic or Intuitive Method
 Step-Counter method
 Karnaugh-Veitch Method
 Combination circuit design

• Cascade circuits provide a standard method of

solving any sequence.
 The CASCADE Method
• Involves dividing the sequence into groups with each group’s
manifold (power or main pressure line) being supplied with
pneumatic power (pressure) one at a time and in sequence.
• Motion within each group is powered by its own group
manifold.
 Procedure to design a circuit
• Step 1
Multiple cylinders involved to do sequence of
operations
Each cylinder named as of our convenience as A,B,C
etc..,
‘+’ symbol represents forward stroke & ‘-’ represents
reverse stroke
Hence sequence of operations written as follows
A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
 Procedure to design a circuit
• Step 2
Divide the sequence into Groups so that no letter
is repeated within any Group.

Simplifying above grouping as

 Procedure to design a circuit
• Step 3
Number of Pressure lines= Number of Groups
 Procedure to design a circuit
• Step 4:
 For each cylinder, assign a 4/2 (or 5/2) control valve with
double pilot lines (i.e., without spring return) and two
spring-return 3/2 limit valves to indicate end of strokes.
 Procedure to design a circuit
• Step 4:
 Assign one or more Group Valves or Cascade Valves to control air
pressure to the Group manifold lines so that only one Group
manifold line is pressurized at any one time and in sequence
 Step 5: Connecting pneumatic Lines

•Approach 1: Design according to the sequence

and using your understanding of how the
Cascade Method is intended to work. The
principal basis is the switching of the Group
manifolds.
•Approach 2: Design according to a set of rules
worked out according to the principles of the
Cascade Method
 Approach 1
• Begin with START. Input to START comes from C- limit valve and output
goes to initiate A+ motion.
• After A+ motion, take input to A+ from its own Group I manifold and
output to initiate B+ motion.
 Approach 1
• At the end of the B+ motion, limit valve b+ is actuated.
Connect its input to its own Group I manifold and take the
output signal to switch to Group II.
 Approach 1

• We’re in Group II now. First action is B-. Connect Group II

manifold to initiate B- motion.
• At the end of B- stroke, connect input of b- to its own
Group II and output to initiate A- motion.
 Approach 1
• At end of A- stroke, a- limit valve is actuated. It then take Group II power,
connected to its input, and its output initiates C+ motion.
• At end of C+ stroke, need to use c+ to switch to Group I.
 Approach 1
• We’re now into Group I. First action is C-. Thus, connect Group I manifold
to initiate C- motion.
• At end of C- stroke, C- takes its input from Group I and output its signal
to the next action, which is START.
 Approach 2
• Connect the input of the limit valve at each stroke extremity to its own
Group manifold…
 Approach 2
• For the first letter in each Group, connect the corresponding control
valve input to its own Group manifold
 Approach 2
• For the last letter in each Group, connect the output of the
corresponding limit valve to switch to the next Group …
 Approach 2
• For all other letters, connect the output of the corresponding limit valve to
the control valve input corresponding to the next letter in the sequence
 Approach 2
• Incorporate a 3/2 spring-returned manually-operated START valve. The
circuit should now be complete
Thank you