AirTAC Multi-Position Cylinders

A standard double-acting cylinder gives two positions: fully retracted and fully extended. The AirTAC SCT is a tandem multi-position cylinder - more than one piston and chamber assembly in line in a single body - so by pressurising different combinations of ports the rod also stops at intermediate positions, up to four distinct positions in total. The positions are set by the cylinder's construction, not adjusted on site; the exact stroke combination and the valve arrangement that selects them are defined per part number, so send us the code and we confirm both from the datasheet.

The family covers one series, the SCT: 1205 published part numbers, double-acting tandem design, bores from 32 to 100 mm. Why tandem rather than the usual alternatives: two separate cylinders in series need two mountings and their own alignment; a servo or stepper axis gives arbitrary positions but costs far more and needs a drive and controller; stopping mid-stroke with valves alone is not repeatable, because air is compressible and the load coasts. A tandem cylinder gives a small number of mechanically defined positions with nothing but air and valves.

Honest scope: choose the SCT when you need three or four repeatable stops on a feed, sort or index move. If you need arbitrary positioning, this is the wrong technology - use an electric axis. And as with any double-acting air cylinder, the rod does not hold position if pressure is lost; where load holding is required, step to the AirTAC lock cylinder family or add a pilot check valve.