Introducing air motors: the indestructible powerhouse

We sell air motors! No, those aren’t engines to power airplanes. And they don’t go in windmills either. Air motors are pneumatic drives, which literally means they are powered by air.

Motors are mechanical or electronic-mechanical devices that convert energy into motion. Energy, in the form of electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic, is converted to rotational or linear motion and then output to a shaft or other power transmission component where it provides useful work.

Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire to generate torque applied on the motor's shaft. A combustion engine, like in cars, produces power and torque by the ignition of fuel. And just like that, an air motor will produce power and movement by blowing compressed air into the motor.

Each motor has its own advantages and disadvantages. A combustion engine is very powerful, can be used stand-alone (like in transportation), but will release a lot of emission and exhaust fumes. Electric motors and air motors are the cleaner option. Electric motors can also be use stand-alone (as long as they have a battery), but they can’t be safely used everywhere. They can’t function properly in cold, hot and humid areas, because strong temperatures and humidity simply don’t match with electric technology and batteries. They are also not safe to use in explosion sensitive areas. The usage of electric power can create a spark, which can trigger an explosion. We figured you wouldn’t want a drive that can produce a spark while working in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Air motors are not as widely known like combustion or an electric motor. They only have one big disadvantage in comparison to the other two: air motors always need to be attached to an air supply and the air needs to be pressurized by an air compressor. However, they don’t emit any exhaust fumes or emissions and they can function perfectly in dangerous, hot and humid areas. No fumes and emissions also means they are environmental friendly and a sustainable source of power and torque.

They might not be as powerful as an combustion engine, and moving them around is not very easy, but the construction of an air motor is the simplest of the three types. This makes air motors almost indestructible. It consists of an inlet, outlet, and the construction to drive the axle. In the case of a vane air motor, this construction consist of multiple vanes. The compressed air which flows inside the motor would want to expand the second it enters. The expansion of air will generate a force against the surface of the vanes, which then creates a torque and simultaneously a rotation creating movement and power. Their simple, yet very effective construction makes air motors exceptionally robust, and intrinsically safe. There is almost no friction, no static fields and no spark. This makes air motors the most suitable drive for applications in explosion-sensitive areas like mines.

An air motor with many talents and applications

You have different types of air motors, and each has their own talents. Basically, you have two categories: vane and piston. As we explained before, vane air motors work by pushing air onto vanes to make the axle rotate. We also sell compact vane motors, these are small sized vane air motors with an integrated gearbox. Piston air motors move a little bit like a piston combustion engine, but instead of combustion, the piston cylinders are pushed up and down by the force of air pressure. Piston air motors also exist in a compact version: the Compact Piston Air Motor. These micro-piston air motors operate without a rod or crankshaft and are very popular in the food, pharma and chemical industries. We have some video’s on our YouTube page that will explain the working principles of our different air motors more detailed!

What air motor do I need?

Deciding what air motor you need depends on the application and the amount of power and torque you need. Our specialists are always happy to help you make the right choice, and assist you in purchasing the most fitting motor for your application. Simply put in an offer request on our website, and we will help you on your way. We will soon upload an article on how you can calculate which air motor you need, so follow us on LinkedIn to stay tuned!