Airtac M5B Basic Type Mechanical Valve M5B05
Mechanically actuated · no coil, no pilot airThe AirTAC Airtac M5B Basic Type Mechanical Valve M5B05 is a genuine 5/2-way basic (plunger) type control valve. A plain plunger head. Pushed by a machine part, a jig or a fingertip. It is an external control, direct-acting valve - the spool is moved mechanically, so there is nothing to wire and no pilot line to plumb. Ports are M5 with a 2.5 mm2 (Cv 0.14) effective area.
$19.57 $23.75Save 17%Specifications
| Model | M5B05 |
|---|---|
| Valve type | 5/2 way, external control, direct acting |
| Actuation | Basic (plunger) type |
| Reset | Automatic (spring) restoration |
| Body series | Mini type |
| Port size | M5 |
| Effective area | 2.5 mm2 (Cv 0.14) |
| Fluid | Air, filtered by a 40 um element |
|---|---|
| Pressure range | 0 - 1.0 MPa (0 - 145 psi) |
| Proof pressure | 1.5 MPa (215 psi) |
| Temperature | -20 to +70 C |
| Body material | Aluminium alloy |
| Lubrication | Not required |
| Thread standard | PT (Rc tapered) |
| Spool stroke | 2.0-3.3 mm |
Sliding-column (spool) construction, so operating force is not affected by working pressure - there is no back-pressure effect. Lubrication is not required, but once the valve has been run on lubricated air it must stay on lubricated air; AirTAC suggests ISO VG32 or equivalent. The control set is engineering plastic and must be operated by hand only - never switch it by striking it with a tool. The exhaust outlet sits on top of the body, so a silencer fits directly.
About the M5B05
The M5B05 is a mini 5/2-way mechanical control valve from AirTAC: external control, direct acting, and thrown entirely by hand or by a moving machine part. There is no coil and no pilot port, so this is not a solenoid valve like the 4V range and not an air pilot valve like the 4A range. A plain plunger does the switching - pushed by a jig, a slide or a fingertip at a fixed point - and a spring returns the spool automatically the moment the push stops.
Being the mini (05) construction, it runs an M5 port thread with an effective area of 2.5 mm2 (Cv 0.14), suiting small cylinders and low-flow signal circuits. The sliding-spool design means the changeover force is not affected by working pressure, so there is no back-pressure effect and switching behaviour stays consistent across the 0 to 1.0 MPa range. The exhaust outlet sits on top of the body, so a silencer screws straight on.
Typical applications
End-of-stroke signal on a small drilling jig
Mount the M5B05 so the drill slide, at the bottom of its travel, presses the plunger with a stop screw. The spring return resets the signal the instant the slide lifts, cycling a clamp or an ejector without any wiring.
Fingertip jog control on a bench packaging fixture
On a small carton-taping or labelling station, an operator presses the plunger by hand to advance a mini cylinder one step. Release, and the spring restores the valve - a purely pneumatic jog with no electrical station to install.
Return-pipe trigger on a pneumatic transfer line
Fit the valve beside a small parts chute so a component striking the plunger vents or re-pipes a signal line for one cycle. The mini footprint suits the tight space beside the chute, and the M5 thread takes standard fittings.
How to choose
Choose the basic plunger over its nearest neighbour, the M5R05 roller lever, when the trip point is fixed rather than a passing cam: a stop screw, a slide face or an operator's finger hits the plunger at one spot, while the roller suits a carriage sweeping past in both directions. If you need the valve to hold its state after actuation, no version of the mini family does that - you would step to a full-size M5Y or M5HS instead.
If 2.5 mm2 (Cv 0.14) is too little flow for the cylinder, step up to the M5B110 (8.0 mm2, Cv 0.45, 1/8 in) or the M5B210 (9.0 mm2 at 1/8 in, 12.0 mm2 at 1/4 in, Cv up to 0.67). Whichever body you pick, respect the reversal stroke: the M5B05 spool travels 2.0 to 3.3 mm, and driving it beyond that limit will damage the valve.
Frequently asked questions
It is a 5/2-way external control, direct acting mechanical valve with a basic plunger actuator and spring return, on the mini (05) body with an M5 port thread and an effective area of 2.5 mm2 (Cv 0.14). Operating pressure is 0 to 1.0 MPa (0 to 145 psi) with a proof pressure of 1.5 MPa (215 psi), and the temperature range is -20 to +70 C for filtered air (40 um element). The aluminium alloy body needs no lubrication, and if lubricated air is used it should continue with the same medium, such as ISO VG32.
AirTAC publishes a reversal stroke of 2.0 to 3.3 mm for the M5B05 spool, and states that exceeding these limits damages the valve. Set your trip stop so the plunger throws the spool within that window - do not bottom the plunger out at full machine force. Note also that the mini basic type has an engineering plastic control set intended for manual operation only: switching it by striking it with a tool is forbidden.