Hydraulics and Pneumatics

How does hydraulics work?

The word hydraulics comes from Greek and means something like "water pipe" ("hydro" = water and "aulos" = pipe). In a hydraulic system, a liquid (usually hydraulic oil) is pressurized within a closed control system. If you take away space from the liquid in the pipe system, the pressure increases. This happens because the liquid tries to expand evenly. The fluid simply passes this pressure on and can be used, for example, to lift heavy loads.

How does pneumatics work?

The term pneumatics also comes from the Greek ("pneuma" = wind) and refers to the use of compressed air in closed systems. Pneumatics therefore works like hydraulics, only the transmission medium is not water (or oil) but air. This means that pneumatics can be used anywhere, as the exhaust air does not need to be recirculated or disposed of, as it can simply be directed back outside.