7 Rodless Cylinder Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for rodless cylinders as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 7 rodless cylinder manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked rodless cylinder companies as of November, 2024: 1.GTek Automation, 2.Tolomatic, Inc., 3.KONAN ELECTRIC CO.,LTD..
Table of Contents
What Are Rodless Cylinders?
Rodless cylinders are cylinders that operate without an external extending rod. Unlike traditional cylinders that have a rod extending outside the cylinder body, rodless cylinders achieve linear motion through the movement of the cylinder body itself, making them ideal for applications where space is limited. They are commonly utilized in air cylinders and are known for their compact and slim design, which saves space in confined or restricted environments.
By eliminating the need for a rod, rodless cylinders also avoid the issues of rod deflection and vibration, ensuring high motion accuracy. This makes them suitable for applications requiring precise position control and positioning. Additionally, guided models allow for easy integration by simply connecting air piping.
Applications of Rodless Cylinders
Rodless cylinders find applications across various industries and functions, including automation systems, packaging equipment, and industrial robot arms. They are particularly beneficial in processes requiring accurate positioning, such as assembling, transporting products, and controlling the movement of robotic arm joints and end-effectors. Their high motion accuracy and suitability for clean environments make them invaluable in food and pharmaceutical packaging, as well as factory automation.
Operating Principles of Rodless Cylinders
Rodless cylinders can be categorized as magnetic or mechanical joint:
- Magnetic Cylinders: Uses magnetic force to move the cylinder in tandem with the slide table without a direct connection, offering a sealed, low-leakage operation with high heat resistance.
- Mechanical Joint Cylinders: Features a direct connection between the cylinder tube and slide table, providing durability against large loads but limited to high-speed operations.
Choosing a Rodless Cylinder
Selection criteria for rodless cylinders include cylinder bore diameter, determined by required thrust, and specific model characteristics like load capacity, piston speed, and moment. Considerations should also include the mass of the moving object and its speed, with adjustments made for mounting posture to accommodate the weight of the moving object in vertical installations.
Additional Information on Rodless Cylinders
Using rodless cylinders, especially for long strokes, requires attention to installation restrictions and how the moving object is secured to the slider. Proper mounting techniques are critical to prevent cylinder or guide breakage due to non-parallel motion between the linear guide and the slider. Strategies often involve fixing the slider to the moving object only in the thrust direction and ensuring the slider is properly aligned to prevent misalignment and potential damage.
List of 7 Rodless Cylinder Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- United States of America
- Japan
- Netherlands
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Tolomatic, Inc.
Rodless Cylinders
Manufacturer Overview
Tolomatic was founded in the 1950s and operates out of Hamel, Minnesota. Tolomatic Is a manufacturer of automation components for industries such as aerospace, agriculture, automotive construction, life sciences, semiconductor, and utilities. Tolomatic has three main product lines which are electric linear actuators, pneumatic linear actuators, and power transmissions. Electric linear actuators include rodless electro-mechanical actuators, electric rod actuators, as well as custom & modified products. Pneumatic linear actuators include rodless pneumatic actuators, rod-style pneumatic linear thrusters, and custom & modified products. Power transmission includes roller screws, industrial caliper brakes, industrial gearboxes, and industrial cone clutches.
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GTek Automation
Rodless Cylinders
Company Overview
GTek Automation was founded in 1997 as Pacific Engineering and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California. GTek Automation is a technology-based distributor of pneumatic components, leak test and measurements systems. In addition to product distribution, GTek Automation offers product assembly and kitting services to assist our customers reduce the overall cost of component and system acquisition. GTek Automation specializes in the complete integration of the pressure or vacuum source, and all of the auxiliary pneumatic components.
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KONAN ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.
Rodless Cable Cylinders Pneumatic/Hydraulic
Manufacturer Overview
KONAN ELECTRIC CO. LTD., founded in 1941 and headquartered in Japan, is a manufacturer of pneumatic equipment used in the production of domestic spot welding machine. The company provides various products, including solenoid valves for various fluids, pneumatic solenoid valves, and components for pneumatic lines. Furthermore, it has developed guidelines for explosion-proof solenoid valves specific to hydrogen, as well as pneumatic rotary actuators. These products find applications in a range of settings, including nuclear and thermal power plants, steel manufacturing facilities, and press machines..
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Manufacturer Overview
CKD Corporation, established in 1943 under the name of Japan Aircraft Electric Co., Ltd., is a Japanese manufacturer of automation machinery and manufacturing components, headquartered in Komaki, Aichi. Their diverse portfolio includes pneumatic and fluid control components, fine system components, drive components, and labor-saving components. The company has also developed various types of automation machinery, such as transparent object inspection systems, pharmaceutical products packaging machines, and more. These products find applications in various industries, for example their automated food packaging systems are designed for maintaining food quality and hygienic conditions. Their fluid control components are used in the solar cell manufacturing process.
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SMC Corporation.
Air Cylinders
Manufacturer Overview
SMC corporation was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. SMC Corporation manufactures and sells automatic control equipment and filtration equipment. SMC has production facilities in 30 countries, technical development centers in Japan, the United States, Europe, and China, and sales offices, globally. SMC product lines divided by them include filter replacements, condensation prevention, heat resistance, thermos-chilling, and others. SMC provides a video library as well as product selection guide to assist customers in finding solutions and optimizing product efficiency.
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Festo Corporation.
Linear actuator DG
Manufacturer Overview
Festo Corporation, established in 1925 and headquartered in Esslingen, Germany, is a supplier of automation technology and technical education and is ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and ISO14001 certified. It has around 33,000 catalog products, customized components, and ready-to-install solutions, including grippers, motors, and sensors used in industrial and process automation. The company won the German Future Award in 2010 and serves 300,000 customers worldwide, while its education division provides training solutions for 56,000 industrial companies and educational institutions. It registered €3.81 billion in the 2022 financial year and is available in around 60 countries, with 2,600 patents worldwide.
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Tameson
PL- & PLF-series
Distributor Overview
Tameson was founded in 2013, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands as an online-based supplier and distributor of industrial products. The company offers a wide range of products, including valves, tubes and hoses, fittings, electrical accessories, and hydraulics. There are also Office supplies such as memory cards, cables, etc. along with measuring and controlling devices like thermometers, gauges, levels, and more. Industries such as Home and Garden, Food and Beverage, Automotive, HVAC, and Industrial Automation, amongst others, benefit from the products distributed by Tameson.
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Rodless Cylinder Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GTek Automation |
40.0%
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| 2 | Tolomatic, Inc. |
20.0%
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| 3 | KONAN ELECTRIC CO.,LTD. |
20.0%
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| 4 | CKD |
10.0%
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| 5 | SMC Corporation. |
10.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the rodless cylinder page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
- CKD: 4,660
- KONAN ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.: 181
Newly Established Company
- Tameson: 2013 (11 years ago)
- GTek Automation: 1997 (27 years ago)
- SMC Corporation.: 1959 (65 years ago)
Company with a History
- KONAN ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.: 1940 (84 years ago)
- CKD: 1943 (81 years ago)
- SMC Corporation.: 1959 (65 years ago)
Rodless Cylinder Manufacturers in United States
*Including some distributors, etc.
Global Distribution of Rodless Cylinder Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
Japan
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3 | 50.0% |
United States of America
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2 | 33.3% |
Netherlands
|
1 | 16.7% |
