CONCERNING THE PNEUMATIC MUSCLE BEHAVIOR UNDER DIFFERENT LOADS

The paper presents the experiments made on a pneumatic muscle for establishing its behavior under different loads. The experimental stand consists in a MAS-20-750N-AA-MC-O-ER-BG pneumatic muscle achieved from FESTO AG&Co., which is fixed at one end and connected to compressed air. At the free end are attached different loads. The muscle, under the action of compressed air inflates and deflates acting like a spring. Because the maximum resisting value of the chosen type of pneumatic muscle is 6 bar, value of which the contraction is 20% of its initial state, for the experiments are used pressure values between 0 and 6 bar. The results of the pneumatic muscle testing show the evolution of pressure and flow rate of the compressed air and the hysteresis of the muscle.