Pneumatics can source its origins to the first century, but it wasn’t until centuries later that people began to truly understand and apply the concepts of this fluid power technology.
In 1600, German physicist Otto von Guericke invented the first vacuum pump using pressurized air. The industrial revolution helped turn pneumatics into an industry in and of itself, and the technology has continued to evolve and advance ever since.
Pneumatics is a power transmission technology which uses compressed air to transmit energy and force. It tends to operate at lower pressures but can provide quick, accurate movements. Factory automation is a large application sector for pneumatics, but the technology is used in a range of others as well including brake systems for heavy trucks and buses, packaging and processing operations and many others.