Question about the SFE Air Pump

[zachydj]

Hello everybody!
My friend and I are about to begin our first robot. We are planning on a wheeled design and want to incorporate a homemade miniature pneumatic air cannon. We were hoping to use the SFE Air Pump,
But we had a few questions. The air pumps page says it can also be used for inflating, and I noticed there are two nozzles. Does one vacuum air and the other pump air outward? If not, how would you use this device to inflate rather than vacuum?

On a different note, in order to fire the cannon, we would need an actuator that depressed the pin of a schrader valve (tire valve). Our first thought was a linear actuator, but we have a limited budget, and those things can be pricey! Is there an actuator that could accomplish this purpose but is lower priced?

Thanks for the help!

[zachydj]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Based on the specs sheet of the SFE air pump, it should be able to provide 32 psi. We are planning to use it to pump air into a tank which is then used to fire a BB. Do you think it would be able to do something like that?
If not, would it be capable of transferring a gas from one location to another? If that were the case, we could potentially use a combustion-based launcher.

[cbenson]

It’s unlikely that the SFE air pump can provide enough pressure to fire a projectile, but, you may be able to find a way if you are creative enough. One opening is the air intake and the other is the output (which you would use to inflate an object. Regarding the valve, consider a solenoid.

[cbenson]

Do you think it would be able to do something like that?

It will let out air as fast as your car tire will. Do your best not to have any air escape around the projectile, but at the same time try to make it as frictionless as possible. Look up what pressure air cannons operate at to get some ideas.
You might try an air gun approach (some can be pretty inexpensive especially if you’re just salvaging them for parts.