Pneumatic actuators leverage this fact of fluid dynamics to provide clean, quiet motion, with less waste heat and electromagnetic interference than their electric counterparts. They also excel in applications involving fast repetitive moves, heavy loads, and very smooth motion profiles.

Here's how it works: Compressed air enters an opening in a cylinder and pushes against the interior, including the one wall that can move: the piston. If the difference in force across the piston is larger than the total attached load plus frictional forces, the piston floor drops out. The resulting net force (proportional to the force to mass ratio) accelerates the load, converting pneumatic to linear mechanical power. With air power as the driving force, pneumatic actuators are safe for hazardous environments where electric sparks must be avoided.