What typically causes cylinder drift in a pneumatic system?

Cylinder drift in a pneumatic system is primarily caused by leaking seals. When seals within a cylinder become worn or damaged, they can allow compressed air to escape from one side of the piston to the other, leading to a loss of control over the piston position. This uncontrolled movement results in what is referred to as "drift."

Seals are critical for maintaining the pressure necessary to hold a cylinder in a specific position, and if they fail, the piston may not remain stationary, even when air pressure is present. This issue becomes particularly apparent in applications where precise positions are essential, and the drift can compromise performance, safety, and efficiency.

While other factors such as system pressure, pump malfunction, and excessive load can affect the overall operation of a pneumatic system, they do not directly lead to the same kind of unintended movement (drift) that leaking seals do. Inadequate system pressure may lead to inadequate operating force, a pump malfunction could cause the system to fail to operate altogether, and excessive load might cause performance issues, but these would not manifest as cylinder drift in the same manner as worn or leaking seals.