Rodless cylinders are pneumatic drives and – as the name suggests – do not have a piston rod. Although they don't have a piston rod, they execute linear movements, which is why they are also known as linear drives. Rodless cylinders are used wherever a short installation length is advantageous and where the force has to be absorbed as consistently as possible. They also allow much longer travel distances with strokes of up to 8.5 m, which is not feasible for a standard cylinder with piston rod.
Rodless cylinders belong to the group of pneumatic cylinders that are operated using compressed air. They are used in a wide variety of pneumatic applications, such as in conveying, drive or handling technology. A characteristic feature of mechanically coupled cylinders is that power is transmitted via a lateral connection on the piston. This requires them to have a slot in the profile barrel. In the case of magnetically coupled cylinders, the force is transmitted through a closed profile barrel and a magnetic field. The installation length required in both variants is significantly less than with comparable piston rod cylinders.
The major advantages of cylinders without piston rods are longer travel strokes and a shorter design, which is why they can be used very flexibly. Rodless cylinders are therefore the first choice when space is limited. Thanks to available mounting slots on various sides of the mechanically coupled rodless cylinders, modular components, such as brakes or sensors, can be installed directly on the cylinders themselves. In addition to being very flexible to install, an inner and an outer sealing strip guarantee good sealing properties. This allows for long strokes, without restrictions.