What is the difference between air cylinder and pneumatic cylinder?

The terms air cylinder and pneumatic cylinder are often used interchangeably, but technically, they can refer to slightly different concepts based on context. Here’s a breakdown of the difference:

Air Cylinder

• Definition: An air cylinder specifically refers to a cylinder that uses compressed air as the driving medium to create motion.
• Context: The term "air cylinder" emphasizes the use of air (typically compressed atmospheric air) as the working fluid.
• Common Usage: In many industries, "air cylinder" refers to the simpler pneumatic cylinders, particularly in more casual or general contexts.

Pneumatic Cylinder

• Definition: A pneumatic cylinder is any cylinder that uses pressurized gas (usually air) to generate motion. This includes systems that use air, but also could encompass cylinders that use other gases.
• Context: The term "pneumatic" is broader and refers to cylinders that use any kind of compressed gas (air being the most common). Pneumatic cylinders are more technical and can refer to systems using gases other than just air in specific industrial applications.
• Common Usage: "Pneumatic cylinder" is the more formal and technically correct term used in most engineering and industrial contexts.

Key Difference

• While air cylinders specifically use compressed air as the medium, pneumatic cylinders can use air or any other gas (like nitrogen, for example) in certain specialized applications.

In most practical terms, though, air cylinder and pneumatic cylinder are often used synonymously, as air is the most common medium in pneumatic systems.