Lego pneumatics
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| Parent theme |
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| Availability | 1984– |
| Total sets | Pneumatics Add-On Set (W979641) & Pneumatics Extension Pack (W991462) |
Lego pneumatics is a variety of Lego bricks which use air pressure and specialised components to perform various actions using the principles of pneumatics.
The LEGO pneumatics components were first introduced as part of the LEGO Technic range in 1984. Since their introduction, LEGO pneumatics have featured in a variety of LEGO Technic and LEGO Educational (DACTA) products.
The first generation of LEGO Pneumatics ran from 1984 through 1988. This generation is characterised by single port pneumatic cylinders and the more complex plumbing including a three port distribution block with a pressure and vacuum outlet port. These pressure and vacuum lines ran to a switch to provide pressure for extension or vacuum for retraction of the pneumatic cylinders. These are often falsely compared to single acting hydraulic cylinders that require gravity to retract. The difference is that these units retract on the application of vacuum.
In 1989, the LEGO pneumatic line was revamped, and a new cylinder and pump piece were introduced. The old cylinders and pumps were discontinued. The chief difference is that the new cylinder had two input valves now, which allowed both pushing and pulling without needing complex circuits involving the distribution block piece.
Over the years, several new pieces were introduced in this line as well. The new pump was spring based, and could only be operated by hand, which limited pneumatic power to how fast it could be manually pumped. This obviously limited the power of pneumatic circuits. So in 1992, LEGO introduced two new pieces; a small pump and a small cylinder. The small pump did not have a spring on it, and it was designed to be operated by a motor, which would allow for continuously-running pneumatic creations. As of 2011, the small pump has only appeared in one set — 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig (1992) (found on Peeron) — and a few parts sets (no longer available). A new version of the small pump was released in Lego set 8110 Unimog U400 (2011). At 2L, this pump's stroke is 1/3 longer than the old one's 1.5L, 'L' being the LEGO unit of a stud. This made it much easier to use in studless construction.
In 1997, LEGO introduced the Air Tank, which acts like a battery, storing compressed air so that even more powerful pneumatic circuits can be created. This piece is very popular with the enthusiast community, but many feel that it was underutilised by LEGO, as it only appeared in 3 model sets and a parts pack. This tank is now only available at the LEGO Education Store, along with a new manometer part.
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