Development of a Basic Electro-pneumatic Control Trainer

Abstract

A basic electro-pneumatic control trainer provides the students’ learning experience and appreciation of the subject and course and for the professors’ demonstrations and evaluation of students’ performance during laboratory time. This study utilized a developmental type of research. The trainer board was a 24 inches by 24 inches by ¾ inch marine plywood. It was cost-effective, space-efficient and portable. It contained circuit breaker, plurality of din rails, plurality of terminal blocks, plurality of relays and relay holders, plurality of normality open and closed push buttons, plurality of utility box, plurality of base plates, plurality of 24VDC (Volt-Direct Current) 3/2 way solenoid valves, plurality of 24VDC indicator lights, tubes duct, plurality of double-acting cylinders, plurality of clamps, and plurality of 24VDC proximity sensors. All the devices were totally exposed for easy installation and familiarization. The plurality of input and output devices terminals were pre-wired into the terminal blocks for faster installation and cost-effective for trainers’ maintenance purposes. It was equipped with low current circuit breaker to facilitate safe operations and eliminate damages to all the devices considering the hard to find and the high cost of the electro-pneumatic control components. It was cable of handling an industrial-like electro-pneumatic control wiring installation, troubleshooting, and commissioning. The basic electro-pneumatic control trainer utilized 24VDC as a power supply for the electrical circuit and a 60psi (pounds per square inch) compressed air for pneumatic control as air supply and supported with the instructional module in basic electro-pneumatics. A basic electro-pneumatic control trainer was granted an Industrial Design (ID) patent by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines while still waiting for subsequent formality examination report as a pending application for a Utility Model (UM) patent by the same office.