Looking for Help with Air Cylinder Selection for X-Z Slide Configuration 1

Ram-Design · Apr 19, 2025

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working on a new project and need some guidance in selecting the right air cylinder setup. I’m using an X-Z configuration with two air slides:

X-axis: MXW20-225B-M9BWL
Z-axis: CXS2L25-80-M9BWL (mounted on the X-axis)

The Z-axis applies a downward force of 525N, carrying a workpiece load of 4kg. The X-axis does not need to exert the same force—it only needs to hold its position rigidly while the Z-axis operates.

My main question is:
Can the MXW20-225B-M9BWL on the X-axis handle this configuration, particularly in terms of rigidity and holding position during Z-axis actuation?
I'd appreciate any insights, experiences, or references that can help with the selection process.

Thanks in advance!

dvd · Apr 19, 2025

Definitely a question to take up with an SMC applications engineer - https://www.smcusa.com/contact/global-locator

Compositepro · Apr 19, 2025

Air is not very rigid. Compressed air is somewhat more rigid. When rigidity is important hydraulics are used.

3DDave · Apr 19, 2025

An electric positioning screw drive is probably more suitable for the task. Next up, a servo motor driving a pinion against a toothed rack.

Air driven systems are good when there is a need for rough positioning, such as air-ride suspensions, that retain a good amount of travel in response to external loads or systems that have two end-points and little need for precise location in between.

Jboggs · Monday at 12:12 PM

Air cylinders will only hold two positions - fully retracted or fully extended. That is, unless you have some external break or lock. Then it's not the cylinder doing the "holding". As previously suggested - call SMC and talk to an Application Engineer. Their only job is to help you succeed with your project. SMC has lots of them. And talk to a live person, not some chatbot or email helpdesk.

Stick. · Monday at 3:38 PM

Ram-Design said:
The X-axis does not need to exert the same force—it only needs to hold its position rigidly while the Z-axis operates.

Before you contact an SMC Application Engineer (which I agree is your best course of action), you'll need to define an acceptable deflection criteria instead of just specifying "rigidly". Having the other loads defined is a good start.

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Looking for Help with Air Cylinder Selection for X-Z Slide Configuration 1

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