Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A
The AirTAC Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A is a genuine speed controller, threaded elbow with knob with aluminium-alloy locking cap and fixed tube direction, used to set the speed of a pneumatic cylinder by throttling its air.
- TypeSpeed controller, threaded elbow
- SeriesPSL
- Working pressure0 - 1.0 MPa (0 - 10 kgf/cm2)
- Proof pressure1.5 MPa
- AdjustmentKnob with aluminium-alloy locking cap
- Temperature-20 to +70 °C
- No minimum order. A single piece can be ordered.
- Ready in 3–5 business days. That is the time we take to process the order and hand it to the carrier. Transit time after that depends on the destination.
About the Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A
The PSL1203A is a Dia 12 mm in-line speed controller with a 3/8in PT male thread, the largest bore AirTAC offers on the PSL body. Its A suffix means meter-out control: air flowing from the thread port into the tube is throttled by an adjustable needle, while the return path passes through a one-way check at full flow. In practice this is the configuration AirTAC itself recommends first, because throttling the exhaust of a double-acting cylinder leaves a back-pressure cushion that keeps the stroke smooth instead of letting the load run away and jerk.
Adjustment is by a knurled knob with an aluminium locking cap - tighten the cap after setting and vibration cannot drift the speed. Internals include a brass throttling column and body inside a PBT plastic holder, and the handle carries the A marking so an operator can confirm the control direction at a glance. One thing to note before plumbing: unlike the PSS universal type, the PSL tube outlet is fixed. It will not swivel, so plan the tube routing before you torque the thread in.
Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A Technical Specifications
| Model | Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A |
|---|---|
| Type | Speed controller, threaded elbow |
| Series | PSL |
| Adjustment | Knob with aluminium-alloy locking cap |
| Orientation | Fixed tube direction |
| Working pressure | 0 - 1.0 MPa (0 - 10 kgf/cm2) |
|---|---|
| Negative pressure | -750 mmHg (10 Torr) |
| Proof pressure | 1.5 MPa |
| Temperature | -20 to +70 °C |
| Applicable tubing | Soft nylon or polyurethane tube |
| Thread standard | PT (Rc tapered) unless the code says otherwise |
POM release button and chuck, aluminium-alloy guide, stainless spring gasket, NBR O-ring; body brass or PBT depending on the part. A speed controller is not a shut-off valve - a small leak past a fully closed needle is normal. Close it before applying air, and turn it open slowly. AirTAC publishes flow as a characteristic curve rather than a single figure, so no L/min value is listed.
Model Code: Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A
| PSL | Speed controller, threaded elbow. |
|---|---|
| 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 / 12 | Tube outside diameter in mm (3.2 mm exists on the mini series). |
| M5 / 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 | Thread: M5x0.8, 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" (M3 on the mini series). |
| A / B | A = meter-out (controls flow from the thread port to the tube). B = meter-in. |
| D | Black. Blank = grey. |
Meter-Out or Meter-In?
- check Meter-out (A) is the default. It throttles the air LEAVING the cylinder, so the piston runs against a back-pressure cushion and moves smoothly.
- check Use meter-out on double-acting cylinders - it is the one AirTAC lists as first priority.
- check Meter-in (B) throttles air ENTERING the cylinder. It suits single-acting cylinders and air motors.
- check Meter-in on a double-acting cylinder tends to give a jerky, stick-slip stroke under varying load.
- check Fit the controller at the cylinder port, not at the valve, so the throttled volume is as small as possible.
Where the Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A Is Used
Automotive weld-fixture clamps
Large swing clamps on car-body weld fixtures use Dia 12 lines because of their piston area. Meter-out control lets the clamp close firmly onto the panel without the impact that marks finished sheet metal.
Palletiser case ejectors
A pusher that knocks shrink-wrapped cases off a palletising conveyor must fire fast but land without knocking the next case over. Throttling the exhaust of the Dia 12 ejector cylinder damps just the last part of the stroke.
Scrap-conveyor discharge gates
Heavy slide gates at the end of a metal-scrap conveyor cycle hundreds of times a shift. A 3/8in meter-out controller on each port gives a controlled gate drop instead of a slam that fatigues the mounting frame.
Is the Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A the Right Part?
Choose meter-out (this A version) when a solenoid valve drives a double-acting cylinder - the exhaust cushion prevents stick-slip under varying load. If you run a single-acting spring-return cylinder, the meter-in B version is the better match; meter-in control on a double-acting cylinder is the combination most likely to hunt. On the size ladder, this is the top of the 3/8in run: PSL1003A at Dia 10 steps down for lighter loads and shorter lines, and stepping up in bore means changing thread to the PSL1204A, which pairs the same Dia 12 tube with a 1/2in PT port. Below Dia 10, PSL 3/8in bodies also exist in Dia 6 and Dia 8, giving this thread the widest tube choice of any PSL size.
Mount the controller directly at the cylinder port rather than at the valve. Throttling at the port keeps the small compressed volume between restrictor and actuator, which sharpens speed response and cuts wasted air on every cycle. If your panel has no room for a fixed-direction body, the PSS1203A universal version swivels 360 degrees on the same size.
Quick checklist
- ✓ Tube outside diameter matches exactly
- ✓ Thread size and standard match the port
- ✓ Working pressure within 0 - 1.0 MPa (0 - 10 kgf/cm2)
- ✓ Temperature within -20 to +70 °C
- ✓ Meter-out (A) unless you know you need meter-in
Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL1203A FAQ
Working pressure 0-1.0 MPa (0-10 kgf/cm2), proof pressure 1.5 MPa, negative pressure down to -750 mmHg (10 Torr), operating temperature -20 to +70 C. It takes Dia 12 mm soft nylon or polyurethane tubing on a 3/8in PT male thread, with a grey body and A-suffix meter-out flow control. The knob setting is held by an aluminium locking cap.
No. A speed controller is not an isolation valve - even fully closed, the needle allows a slight leak by design, so trapped air can bleed off slowly and a cylinder could creep under gravity. For a positive shut-off that also vents the downstream side, fit the AirTAC PHV finger valve, which is a manual quarter-turn valve made for exactly that job.
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