Airtac PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A
The AirTAC Airtac PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A is a genuine push-lock speed controller, threaded elbow with push-lock adjusting cap (pom) and fixed tube direction, used to set the speed of a pneumatic cylinder by throttling its air.
- TypePush-lock speed controller, threaded elbow
- SeriesPTL
- Working pressure0 - 1.0 MPa (0 - 10 kgf/cm2)
- Proof pressure1.5 MPa
- AdjustmentPush-lock adjusting cap (POM)
- 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 PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A
The PTL1203A throttles air flowing from its 3/8in PT thread port out through the Dia 12 tube, while air travelling the opposite way passes through unobstructed. That makes it a meter-out controller, the arrangement AirTAC lists as first priority. In a meter-out circuit the exhausted air is throttled, so a back-pressure cushion builds inside the cylinder and the piston cannot race or slam, even when the load suddenly drops away. The handle carries an A marking to confirm meter-out orientation on the machine.
Instead of a rotating knob, this version uses a push-lock cap: press the cap in to release the lock, set the orifice, then release and the cap springs back to hold the setting against machine vibration. AirTAC publishes a tightening torque for this cap, 0.24 N.m at the 3/8in size, which is the only torque figure in the whole speed-controller catalogue. Internally the throttling body and column are brass, the cap is POM, and the body suits soft nylon or polyurethane tubing rated 0 to 1.0 MPa working pressure.
Airtac PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A Technical Specifications
| Model | Airtac PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A |
|---|---|
| Type | Push-lock speed controller, threaded elbow |
| Series | PTL |
| Adjustment | Push-lock adjusting cap (POM) |
| 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 PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A
| PTL | Push-lock 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 PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A Is Used
Palletiser carton clamps
A palletiser head lowering clamp arms onto shrink-wrapped cartons needs the last part of the stroke slowed so the product is gripped, not crushed. Meter-out throttling at the cylinder port holds a firm, even closing speed across a 12mm-bore line feeding large clamp cylinders.
Conveyor divert gate
A pneumatic gate pushing cartons between two conveyor lanes has to move fast enough not to miss the gap but gently enough not to bounce the product. The 3/8in port bolts straight into the gate cylinder, and the push-lock cap survives the constant vibration of the conveyor frame.
Bottle capping heads
A rotary bottling line drops each capping head onto the bottle neck; too fast and the cap threads skew. Meter-out control damps the descent while the free reverse direction lets the head retract at full speed between bottles.
Is the Airtac PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A the Right Part?
Size the tube to what the actuator actually consumes. On the 3/8in thread the PTL ladder runs Dia 6, 8, 10 and 12, so the step down from this part is the PTL1003A on Dia 10; there is no larger tube on 3/8in. If your port is 1/2in, the same Dia 12 tube carries over to the PTL1204A. Stepping down a bore reduces the controlled air volume, which sharpens response on short strokes; the larger Dia 12 bore keeps restriction low on long or fast cycles. Remember the PTL body is fixed-direction like the PSL; if the tube must swivel to relieve hose twist, that is the PTS universal push-lock instead.
Fit the controller directly in the cylinder port rather than at the valve manifold. Meter-out works by cushioning the trapped exhaust volume, and the smaller that volume, the tighter and more stable the speed control becomes.
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 PTL Exhaust Throttle Type Speed Control Valve PTL1203A FAQ
Working pressure 0 to 1.0 MPa (0 to 10 kgf/cm2), usable under vacuum down to -750 mmHg (10 Torr), proof pressure 1.5 MPa, operating temperature -20 to +70 C. This code is Dia 12 tube on a 3/8in PT thread, meter-out (A) control, push-lock adjustment, grey body, for soft nylon or polyurethane tubing.
AirTAC specifies a cap tightening torque of 0.24 N.m for the 3/8in size; overtightening distorts the POM cap and can smear the setting. Compared with a PSL, the PTL trades the knurled knob for a push-press-release lock that resists being knocked out of adjustment, but costs a few seconds each time you re-set it during commissioning.
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