The CASCADE Method

• similar to that for electromechanical devices.

• involves dividing the sequence into groups
with each group’s manifold (power or main
pressure line) being supplied with pneumatic
power (pressure) one at a time and in
sequence.
• Motion within each group is powered by its
own group manifold.

1
IA – Cascade Method
 The CASCADE Method – Step 1

Divide the sequence into Groups so that no

letter is repeated within any Group.

Example:

START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-

I II I

2
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 2:
2:For
For each
eachcylinder,
cylinder, assign
assign aa4/2(or
4/2(or5/2)
5/2)control
controlvalve
valvewith
with
double
doublepilot
pilotlines
lines(i.e.,
(i.e.,without
withoutspring
springreturn)
return)and
andtwo
twospring-return
spring-return
3/2
3/2limit
limitvalves
valvesto toindicate
indicateend
endof
ofstrokes.
strokes.

START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-

I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

3
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step33::Assign
Assignone
oneor
ormore
moreGroup
GroupValves
Valvesor
orCascade
CascadeValves
Valvesto
to
control
controlair
airpressure
pressuretotothe
theGroup
Groupmanifold
manifoldlines
linesso
sothat
thatonly
onlyone
one
Group
Groupmanifold
manifoldline
lineis
ispressurised
pressurisedat
atany
anyone
onetime
timeand
andin
insequence.
sequence.

Examples III III

Examplesof of IV III II I
Cascade
CascadeValves
Valvesfor for
2,2,33and 1 2
and44groups.
groups.I,I,
II,
II,III
IIIand
andIV IVare
are 2
outputs
outputstoto
Manifolds.
Manifolds.1,2,3 1,2,3
and III II
and44areareinput
input I
control 3
controllines
linestoto 2
switch
switchtototheir
their
respective
respectivegroups.
groups.
1 4
1 3

4
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 33::Assign
Assignone
oneor
ormore
moreGroup
GroupValves
Valvesor
orCascade
CascadeValves
Valvesto
to
control
controlair
airpressure
pressureto tothe
theGroup
Groupmanifold
manifoldlines
linesso
sothat
thatonly
onlyone
one
Group
Groupmanifold
manifoldline
lineis
ispressurised
pressurisedat
atany
anyone
onetime
timeand
andin
insequence.
sequence.
START, A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

I
II

1 2

5
IA – Cascade Method
Step
Step 44 There
There are
are two
two approaches.
approaches.
Approach
Approach 1: 1: Design
Design according
according to
to the
the sequence
sequence and and
using
using your
your understanding
understanding ofof how
how the
the Cascade
Cascade Method
Method
is
is intended
intended toto work.
work. The
The principal
principal basis
basis is
is the
the switching
switching
of
of the
the Group
Group manifolds.
manifolds.
Approach
Approach 2:2: Design
Design according
according toto aa set
set of
of rules
rules worked
worked
out
out according
according to
to the
the principles
principles of
of the
the Cascade
Cascade Method.
Method.

6
IA – Cascade Method
 •• Begin
Begin with
with START.
START. Input
Input to to START
START comes
comes from
from c-
c- limit
limit
Approach
Approach 11 valve
valve and
and output
output goes
goes to
to initiate
initiate A+
A+ motion.
motion.
•• After
After A+
A+ motion,
motion, take
take input
input to
to a+
a+ from
from its
its own
own Group
Group II
manifold
manifold and
and output
output to
to initiate
initiate B+
B+ motion.
motion.

START A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C
a- a+ b- b+ c- c+
Example
Example

+ - + - + -

START I
II

1 2

7
IA – Cascade Method
 •• At
At the
the end
end ofof the
the B+
B+ motion,
motion, limit
limit valve
valve b+
b+ is
is actuated.
actuated.
Approach
Approach 11 Connect
Connect itsits input
input to
to its
its own
own Group
Group II manifold
manifold and
and take
take the
the
output
output signal
signal toto switch
switch to to Group
Group II.
II.

START A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C
a- a+ b- b+ c- c+
Example
Example

+ - + - + -

START I
II

1 2

8
IA – Cascade Method
 •• We’re
We’re in
in Group
Group II II now.
now. First
First action
action is
is B-.
B-. Connect
Connect Group
Group II
II
Approach
Approach 11 manifold
manifold to
to initiate
initiate B-
B- motion.
motion.
•• At
At the
the end
end ofof B-
B- stroke,
stroke, connect
connect input
input of
of b-
b- to
to its
its own
own
Group
Group II II and
and output
output to
to initiate
initiate A-
A- motion.
motion.

START A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C
a- a+ b- b+ c- c+
Example
Example

+ - + - + -

START I
II

1 2

9
IA – Cascade Method
 •• At
At end
end of
of A-
A- stroke,
stroke, a-
a- limit
limit valve
valve is is actuated.
actuated. ItIt then
then take
take
Approach
Approach 11 Group
Group IIII power,
power, connected
connected toto its
its input,
input, and
and its
its output
output
initiates
initiates C+
C+ motion.
motion.
•• At
At end
end of
of C+
C+ stroke,
stroke, need
need to
to use
use c+
c+ to
to switch
switch to
to Group
Group I.I.

START A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C
a- a+ b- b+ c- c+
Example
Example

+ - + - + -

START I
II

1 2

10
IA – Cascade Method
 •• We’re
We’re now
now into
into Group
Group I.I. First
First action
action is
is C-.
C-. Thus,
Thus, connect
connect
Approach
Approach 11 Group
Group II manifold
manifold to
to initiate
initiate C-
C- motion.
motion.
•• At
At end
end of
of C-
C- stroke,
stroke, c-c- takes
takes its
its input
input from
from Group
Group II and
and
output
output its
its signal
signal to
to the
the next
next action,
action, which
which is START. ☺
is START. ☺

START A+ B+ B- A- C+ C-
I II I

A B C
a- a+ b- b+ c- c+
Example
Example

+ - + - + -

START I
II

1 2

11
IA – Cascade Method
Approach
Approach 22
Step
Step 44 Connect
Connectthe
theinput
inputof
ofthe
thelimit
limitvalve
valveat
ateach
eachstroke
stroke
extremity
extremitytotoits
itsown
ownGroup
Groupmanifold…
manifold…
START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-
I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

I
II

1 2

12
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 55 For
Forthe
thefirst
firstletter
letterin
ineach
eachGroup,
Group,connect
connectthe
the
corresponding
correspondingcontrol
controlvalve
valveinput
inputto
toits
itsown
ownGroup
Groupmanifold
manifold…
…

START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-

I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

I
II

1 2

13
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 66 For
Forthe
thelast
lastletter
letterin
ineach
eachGroup,
Group,connect
connectthe
theoutput
outputof
ofthe
the
corresponding
correspondinglimit
limitvalve
valveto to switch
switchto
tothe
thenext
nextGroup
Group……

START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-

I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

I
II

1 2

14
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 77 For
For all
all other
other letters,
letters,connect
connectthetheoutput
outputof
ofthe
thecorresponding
corresponding
limit
limitvalve
valveto
tothe
thecontrol
controlvalve
valveinput
input corresponding
correspondingto tothe
thenext
nextletter
letterin
in
the
thesequence
sequence
START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-
I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

I
II

1 2

15
IA – Cascade Method
 Step
Step 88 Incorporate
Incorporateaa3/2
3/2spring-returned
spring-returnedmanually-operated
manually-operated
START
STARTvalve.
valve.The
Thecircuit
circuitshould
shouldnow
nowbebecomplete
complete

START, A+, B+, B-, A-, C+, C-

I II I

A B C

+ - + - + -
Example
Example

START I
II

1 2

16
IA – Cascade Method
 Taking
Taking care
care of
of Repeated
Repeated Motions
Motions

START, A+, A-, A+, A-

Cylinders requiring repeated motions will need

"OR" logic at the control valve.
17
IA – Cascade Method
 Taking
Taking care
care of
of Repeated
Repeated Motions
Motions

START, A+, A-, A+, A-

For each motion, there needs to be an

associated limit valve to detect end of motion.
18
IA – Cascade Method
 Another
Another example:
example:
START, A+, A-, A+, A-
IV I II III IV
Because of repeated motion,
more than one limit valves are
required for each stroke
extremities, one for each
motion. The bottom figure is an
alternative. Shuttle valves are
used for the OR logic function.

a+

a1+ a2+

19
IA – Cascade Method
 Another
Another example:
example:
START, A+, A-, A+, A-
IV I II III IV

Assign the Cascade Valves

for 4 groups making sure
that the connections are
drawn such that Group 4
Manifold is pressurized
since START is in Group
4. Draw in the four Group
Manifold lines.

20
IA – Cascade Method
 Another
Another example:
example:
START, A+, A-, A+, A-
IV I II III IV

For the first letters in

each group, connect the
relevant input of the
cylinder control valve
to its own group
manifold. For this
example, all the four
letters are first letters.

21
IA – Cascade Method
 Another
Another example:
example:
START, A+, A-, A+, A-
IV I II III IV

According to Step 4, connect

all the inputs of all limit
valves to their own group
manifold lines. Connect the
input of the START push-
button to the output of the
previous action, in this case,
the output of limit valve
corresponding to the 2nd A-
motion.

22
IA – Cascade Method
 Another
Another example:
example:
START, A+, A-, A+, A-
IV I II III IV

The two A+s, the first A-,

and START are all last
actions in their respective
groups. Connect the outputs
of the corresponding limit
valves, and of START, to
switch to the next group. In
the case of START, this is to
switch to Group I. The circuit
now should be complete.

23
IA – Cascade Method
End
End of
of Cascade
Cascade Method
Method

24
IA – Cascade Method