Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL4-01B
The AirTAC Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL4-01B 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 PSL4-01B
The PSL4-01B is a thread-in speed controller: it screws into a 1/8in PT port and grips Dia 4 soft nylon or polyurethane tubing. Inside, a brass throttling column and body restrict flow in one direction and pass it freely in the other, so one fitting sets an actuator stroke while the return path stays wide open. The suffix B makes this the meter-in version: air flowing from the 1/8in thread port into the tube is throttled, and the flow back out of the tube runs free. The handle is marked B so the setting cannot be confused with an A-unit fitted elsewhere on the machine.
Meter-in control is the right choice when the fitting drives a single-acting cylinder, a spring-return clamp or an air bellows, because the cylinder is filled against a spring or load and there is no second chamber to cavitate. AirTAC's own selection guidance states that meter-out is the first priority for double-acting cylinders, where exhaust throttling builds a back-pressure cushion and keeps the stroke smooth; reserve meter-in for single-acting duties. Adjustment is by a knurled knob with an aluminium locking cap - turn to set, then tighten the cap so vibration cannot drift the setting. The body combines brass and PBT plastic with an NBR seal, and the PBT holder carries the port thread.
Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL4-01B Technical Specifications
| Model | Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL4-01B |
|---|---|
| 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 PSL4-01B
| 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 PSL4-01B Is Used
Spring-return clamp on a carton top-fold station
A small single-acting clamp cylinder closing a flap onto printed cartons needs meter-in control so the pad lands gently and does not crush the board. Dia 4 tubing suits the compact bore, and the locking cap holds the setting on a machine that runs all shift.
Descent speed of a benchtop pick-and-place gripper
On a light Z-axis gripper driven by a single-acting down-stroke cylinder, the B suffix meters the air filling the down-stroke so parts are set down rather than dropped. The 1/8in thread ports straight into the cylinder head or a manifold block.
Latching pin on an electronics test fixture
Single-acting latching pins that locate PCB trays must index at a controlled pace to avoid jarring the fixture. The brass throttling column gives fine low-flow adjustment at Dia 4, and copper-free needs are covered separately by the PHV valve range or a -S stainless variant.
Is the Airtac PSL Throttle Speed Control Fitting PSL4-01B the Right Part?
Size this part to the tube, not the port. Dia 4 is the smallest tube bore AirTAC offers on the PSL prefix, so there is no smaller PSL at 1/8in; the step options are PSL4-M5, which keeps the 4mm bore and drops the thread to M5, or PSL6-01B, which keeps the 1/8in thread and opens the bore to 6mm. Stepping to Dia 6 gives measurably more free-flow capacity for a larger actuator volume; stepping to M5 suits compact valve manifolds. If you cannot match a published pairing, split the job: a meter-out PSL at the cylinder and this meter-in unit at a single-acting return.
Between the knob-style PSL and the push-lock PTL, the knob is faster to set by hand during commissioning, while a push-lock cap resists being knocked off its setting by hands passing over the panel. Fit the controller directly at the cylinder port, not back at the valve manifold: the throttled air volume then stays small and the response to each knob turn is crisper.
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 PSL4-01B FAQ
This is a meter-in (B) PSL speed controller for Dia 4 tubing with a 1/8in PT thread. Working pressure is 0-1.0 MPa (0-10 kgf/cm2), it tolerates negative pressure down to -750 mmHg (10 Torr), proof pressure is 1.5 MPa, and the operating temperature range is -20 to +70 C. It runs on soft nylon or polyurethane tubing, the wetted materials are brass, PBT, POM and NBR, and grey is the standard colour (add the D suffix for black).
Match the suffix to the actuator. Use B (meter-in, this part) on single-acting cylinders and spring-return devices, where throttling the supply gives an even, controlled stroke. Use A (meter-out) on double-acting cylinders: restricting the exhaust leaves back-pressure in the cylinder, which cushions the load and prevents stick-slip as friction changes through the stroke. Fitting a meter-in unit to a double-acting cylinder under varying load is the classic cause of a cylinder that judders mid-stroke.
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