home project - soccer ball 'launch'

by Dougie

I am trying to make a device to 'launch' a soccer ball with some relative force to simulate a kick. I want to use a air cylinder, and assume its a relatively easy project. I cant get the speed of the actuator even close to what is needed. Do you have suggestions to make it work?

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Bill says...

Dougie, an interesting project, for sure. When it's done, maybe you could send me a page of info on it and I'll add it to the site for others to see? If you are interested, send me a note from the contact form and I'll be in touch.

Compressed air moves from high pressure to low at around the speed of sound. Therefore, it will rush through your valve into your air cylinder at that speed.

When the air gets into your air cylinder, it has to build up enough pressure to overcome the "sticktion" of the seals in the cylinder, and then it starts to extend or retract the cylinder rod.

If the air bleeds into the cylinder relatively slowly, your rod will extend relatively slowly.

What I expect you are experiencing (since you didn't give me any details) is a too low flow to boot the piston rod out and effect a kick simulation.

Much larger valve, air from a 140 PSI tank or so, larger air line to the cylinder... see if that helps.

Or, have the cylinder push on a fulcrum pivoting around a point close to where the cylinder rod attaches, and have a longer length of rod below the pivot point. As the rod extends, and since the rod below the pivot point is longer, the end of that rod will move more quickly and might give you the effect you want.

Good luck,

Bill