Work toward the lesson goal: Pneumatics & Automated Actuation. Use the directions and success criteria in the activity below.
Materials
For the online work: a browser and your engineering notebook. Follow the activity’s materials list for any physical build, and get teacher approval before using equipment.
Plan your time
Suggested work block: 45–60 minutes. Physical builds and projects may span several classes; follow your teacher’s schedule.
Learning Targets
By the end of this lesson
Identify the function of the compressor, air tank, tubing, solenoids, and cylinders.
Explain how a pneumatic circuit produces extension and retraction.
Program pneumatic actuators used by the Disk Loader and Diverters.
Coordinate pneumatic motion with conveyor movement and sensor feedback.
Equipment & Systems
What you will use
VEX CTE Workcell
Compressor and air tank
Solenoids and tubing
Pneumatic cylinders
Disk Loader / Diverters
Distance Sensor
Student Workflow
What You Will Do
Trace the pneumatic circuit from the air source to a cylinder and identify how the solenoid changes the air path.
Operate and program individual pneumatic actuators.
Use the Distance Sensor or other workcell feedback to determine when a product is positioned for the next operation.
Integrate a pneumatic action with conveyor movement and sensor logic.
Test for jams, missed products, or incorrect timing and revise the sequence.
Programming Focus
How coding supports the lesson
Use clearly named functions where appropriate so repeated pneumatic actions are separated from the main process sequence. Continue applying prior sensor and conditional logic.
What You Will Submit
What You Submit
Labeled pneumatic-system diagram
Commented pneumatic-control program
Integrated conveyor / sensor / pneumatic test evidence
