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In a pneumatic circuit the air is controlled and directed using different mechanical and electrical components. To control the pressure in the circuit a pressure regulator is used. A pressure regulator is a valve that restricts or stops the air from moving past it. The component that controls the direction of airflow is called a directional control valve. Like in a hydraulic circuit all pneumatic direction control valves have an internal spool that controls the flow of air. Most directional control valves are two or three position valves. To the right is a picture of a pressure relief valve.
One component that pneumatic circuits have that hydraulic circuits do not is a lubricator. A lubricator is a device that injects pressurized oil into the pneumatic circuit periodically to keep the components lubricated. If the wrong pressure is being pumped into the circuit it could cause serious damage to the different components.
The way pressure is controlled in a pneumatic circuit is with a pressure switch. The pressure switch will sense a high or low pressure situation and then send an electrical signal to the compressor motor to switch on or off depend on the situation. Another safety component is a safety relief valve which will open up if the pressure pushing against the spring becomes greater then the spring force.
