AirTAC Pneumatics
AirTAC Guided Cylinders
AirTAC guided cylinders build the actuator and its anti-rotation guide into one unit: seven series, 1237 published part numbers, bores from 6 to 100 mm, in bronze-bushing and linear-bearing versions.
inventory_22111 models availableSeries Overview
A guided cylinder is a cylinder and its guide built as one unit. Twin guide rods or a guide frame take the side load and the torque, so the rod cannot rotate and does not have to carry a bending moment - the failure mode that quickly wears the rod seal and bushing of a plain cylinder pushed off-axis. The family covers 1237 published part numbers in seven current series.
The split is the bearing. Bronze bushing / brass sliding bearing versions - TCM (6-100 mm bore, JIS twin-rod), TSAIM (guide frame carrying a standard double-acting cylinder, 32-100 mm bore, strokes 50-500 mm) and TMICM (16-25 mm mini) - tolerate impact and heavy radial load. Linear bearing / recirculating steel-ball versions - TCL (12-100 mm bore, JIS twin-rod), TSAIL (32-100 mm, strokes to 500 mm) and TMICL (16-25 mm mini) - give lower friction and precise, smooth vertical travel. TACQ is a guided non-rotating compact cylinder, 12-100 mm bore, the only one built on a compact body for tight axial space.
The matched pairs are the key detail: TSAIM / TSAIL and TMICM / TMICL share the same size class and differ only in the bearing - M is bronze bushing, L is linear bearing. Position feedback requires the piston-magnet option specified at order time. Note the coding when ordering frame-only: F-TSAIM40X100 is a guide frame with no cylinder, while TSAIM40X100 is the complete guided cylinder.
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Typical Applications
Press and stamping feed stations
TCM twin-rod cylinders with brass sliding bearings absorb repeated impact and heavy radial load at a press feed or clinching station, keeping the rod non-rotating without an external linear guide.
Vertical lift in assembly cells
TCL twin-rod cylinders on steel-ball linear bearings raise and lower fixture plates and gantry heads smoothly and precisely, with strokes sized to the cell rather than a standard lift module.
Compact pick-and-place heads
TMICL mini guided cylinders, 16-25 mm bore, handle precise lifting and pushing inside small pick-and-place heads and test fixtures where a full-size guided cylinder will not fit.
Packaging and labelling machines
TACQ guided non-rotating compact cylinders carry lateral loads in one short body on packaging and labelling machines, where axial length is too tight for a frame-type guided cylinder.
How to Choose the Right Model
Start with the load, not the bore. If the load is purely axial, a plain AirTAC standard or compact cylinder is cheaper and shorter - step out of this family. If the rod sees side load, torque or must not rotate, pick the bearing first: impact and heavy radial duty go to the bronze bushing side (TCM, TSAIM, TMICM); accurate positioning and smooth vertical lifts go to the linear bearing side (TCL, TSAIL, TMICL). Then match the bore span: 6-100 mm for TCM, 12-100 mm for TCL and TACQ, 32-100 mm for TSAIM and TSAIL, 16-25 mm for the TMICM / TMICL mini pair. Only TSAIM and TSAIL are quoted to 500 mm stroke. Where axial length is tight, TACQ is the compact-bodied option. If you want only the frame, it is listed under cylinder accessories.
Before ordering, confirm the five-point match on the datasheet for your code: bore, stroke, mounting style, the piston-magnet option for sensor feedback, and the port/thread detail (confirm from the datasheet per part number). For a guide bought separately from the actuator, see AirTAC linear guides instead.
Quick checklist
- ✓ Required force at your working pressure
- ✓ Stroke and available mounting space
- ✓ Port / thread type (PT / NPT / G)
- ✓ Sensor / magnet option (-S)?
- ✓ Side load — consider a guided model
Frequently Asked Questions
TCM spans 6-100 mm bore, the widest in the family. TCL and TACQ cover 12-100 mm. TSAIM and TSAIL cover 32-100 mm with strokes quoted from 50 to 500 mm. TMICM and TMICL are the mini pair at 16-25 mm bore. Across the seven current series there are 1237 published part numbers.
The TSAIM / TSAIL and TMICM / TMICL pairs are the same size class and differ only in the guide bearing: M is a bronze bushing for impact and heavy radial load, L is a linear bearing for precision and smooth vertical travel. TCM and TMICM sit on the bronze side, TCL and TMICL on the linear bearing side, and TACQ is the guided non-rotating compact-bodied option.
Guide frames are listed separately under cylinder accessories. The coding matters: F-TSAIM40X100 is a frame with no cylinder, while TSAIM40X100 is the complete guided cylinder. If your load is purely axial, a plain AirTAC standard or compact cylinder is the simpler choice; if the guide is bought separately from the actuator, look at AirTAC linear guides.
AirtacDistr is an authorized export seller of genuine AirTAC parts, and all seven guided cylinder series are current. Every part number listed is orderable; lead time is confirmed on request when you send the RFQ. If you need position feedback, specify the piston-magnet option at order time - it cannot be added later - and pair it with the matching cylinder sensor.
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