SMC MXS6-30 Precision Air Slide Table

MXS: Dual-cylinder air slide table with cross-roller guide; Bore 6 mm, Stroke 30 mm, standard type, double-acting, built-in magnet, rubber bumpers at both ends

1. Model Code Explanation

MXS6-30

MXS: SMC air slide table series (cross-roller guide, dual-cylinder construction)

6: Bore size φ6 mm (dual-cylinder structure)

30: Standard stroke 30 mm

Common suffix extensions:

AS: Front-end stroke adjuster; BS: Rear-end stroke adjuster; AT: Dual-end stroke adjuster

B: Hydraulic shock absorber; L: Mirror-image body

–M9BW /-A93: Factory-fitted auto-switches

2. Core Technical Specifications

Weight: approx. 0.22 kg; Optimized for horizontal mounting, suitable for precision short-stroke transfer, positioning and jig actuation.

3. Mounting Highlights
4. Three-sided mounting: Top, bottom and side mounting options. Side thread M2.5×0.45. Avoid over-torque and excessive screw depth to prevent guide deformation and jamming.
5. Worktable tapped holes M4 for workpiece/fixture mounting.
6. Allowable load is governed by moment and overhang length, not only thrust. Longer overhang reduces allowable load.
7. Compatible auto-switches: D-M9B/M9N/A93/Z73. Switches install in body T-slots; switches remain stationary (do not travel with slide table).
8. Common Complete Model Examples

MXS6-30AS: Front-end stroke adjustable (0-5 mm adjustment range)

MXS6-30BS: Rear-end stroke adjustable

MXS6-30AT: Both-ends adjustable

MXS6-30B: Dual-end hydraulic shock absorbers for reduced impact

MXS6-30-M9BW: Pre-fitted with two M9BW auto-switches

5. Domestic Drop-in Replacements (Identical mounting footprint)

Airtac: HLQ6-30；Chelic: MDX6-30；Direct mechanical interchangeable.

6. Used / Second-hand Unit Inspection Checklist
7. Supply air at 0.3-0.4 MPa; full-travel smooth operation without sticking or crawling.
8. Inspect rubber bumpers for cracking and aging.
9. Check lateral play of worktable: Excessive side clearance indicates worn cross-roller guide.
10. Air test full-stroke travel; no internal or external air leakage.
11. Verify built-in magnet integrity: Auto-switch shall produce valid signal at both end-of-travel positions.
12. Typical Applications

Small-scale automation equipment, electronics assembly, jig push-pull, sorting mechanism, miniature transfer positioning.

SMC MXS6-30 Practical Application Cases

MXS6-30 is a φ6 mm bore, 30 mm stroke air slide table with cross-roller guide. Compact size and good moment-resistance capability make it ideal for light-load short-stroke reciprocation. Max allowable horizontal load: approx. 0.6 kg. Widely used in electronics, lithium-ion battery, inspection and small custom automation machines.

Case 1: Electronic component pick-and-place (Consumer electronics assembly machine)

Operating Condition: Equipped with miniature pneumatic gripper. 30 mm horizontal reciprocation transfers small PCB components from feeder into positioning jig. Cycle time:1.2-2 s/cycle, load 150-250 g.

Selected Model: MXS6-30-M9BW, dual-end auto-switch position feedback.

Design Notes: Minimize overhang. Install flow control valves to set speed 150-250 mm/s to reduce impact. Mount gripper directly onto worktable; body fixed from bottom side.

Why MXS6-30: Superior lateral rigidity compared to MXS-U series. Stable repeatability for reciprocation. Space-saving alternative to servo modules for cost reduction.

Case 2: Camera / Sensor feed positioning (Vision inspection equipment)

Operating Condition: Drives industrial camera or laser sensor for 30 mm forward-backward offset to inspect workpieces of variable thickness. Stationary imaging at target position, low-frequency cycling.

Selected Model: MXS6-30AS (front-end stroke adjuster, 0-5 mm fine-tuning for inspection distance).

Notes: Avoid long overhang; mount load close to worktable surface. Stabilize supply air pressure to minimize position deviation caused by pressure fluctuation.

Industry Usage: Connector appearance inspection, plastic part sorting machines.

Case 3: Jig stop / Workpiece positioning (Conveyor line)

Operating Condition: Stop and pre-position workpieces on conveyor. Slide extends to block workpiece; retracts to release after inspection. 30 mm stroke provides stop-and-clear function.

Selected Model: Standard MXS6-30 with D-A93 auto-switches.

Mounting: Side-wall mounting to save vertical machine height.

Note: Only for light-workpiece stopping. Cannot sustain heavy impact; add dedicated bumper block for high-impact scenarios.

Case 4: Mini-press-fit & connector insertion (Connector assembly equipment)

Operating Condition: Light pre-press for small connectors and FPC flexible circuits. Slide extends for pre-compression and retracts for retraction. Theoretical extend thrust 27 N @0.5 MPa; suitable only for light-force pressing, not heavy press-fit tasks.

Selected Model: MXS6-30B (hydraulic shock absorber) for high-impact cycles to protect delicate connectors.

Reminder: If higher pressing force is required, upgrade to MXS8-30.

Case 5: Small-format lithium-ion cell / electrode sorting mechanism

Operating Condition: Divert qualified / NG miniature soft-pack cells into different bins via 30 mm horizontal push.

Selected Model: MXS6-30-M9N, non-lube design for low-oil-mist battery-plant environment.

Constraints: Load ≤300 g. Long overhang will accelerate guide wear.

Case 6: Reagent-card / Test-strip pushing for compact medical diagnostic equipment

Operating Condition: Position reagent cards and test strips in light-load clean-environment setup. Non-lube operation eliminates oil-mist contamination risk.

Selected Model: Standard MXS6-30 with built-in magnet and solid-state auto-switches.

Note: Install air-line oil-mist remover for medical-grade air quality.

Case 7: Single-axis for XY gantry (Compact 2-axis transfer platform)

Operating Condition: MXS6-30 as X-axis stacked upon second slide table for simple pneumatic XY pick-and-place.

Notes: Total mass of upper-axis assembly plus workpiece must not exceed allowable load of lower-axis. Avoid large overhang.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls for MXS6-30 Selection

1. Max allowable horizontal load 0.6 kg. Allowable load decreases sharply with longer overhang. Moment capacity, not raw thrust, is the primary limiting factor.
2. 30 mm is the optimal stroke for bore 6. Rigidity degrades significantly for stroke >40 mm.
3. For high-frequency cycling and impact-prone applications, choose -B hydraulic-shock-absorber variant; standard rubber bumpers degrade rapidly under continuous high-speed operation.
4. MXS6-30 vs MXQ6-30: MXS uses cross-roller guide with superior moment resistance. MXQ uses ball-bearing guide for lower friction but weaker anti-moment performance, suited for ultra-light-load duty.

SMC MXS6-30 Complete Mounting Instructions

MXS6-30 supports bottom-mount, side-mount and top-mount. Worktable for workpiece mounting; main body fixed to machine frame.

1. Thread Specifications & Tightening Torques (SMC factory specification)
2. Body mounting (fix cylinder body to machine frame)

Side mounting threads: M2.5×0.45, Max tightening torque 0.5 N·m, Max screw insertion depth 3.5 mm

⚠️Excess-length screws will compress internal guide assembly and cause jamming or permanent damage!

Bottom mounting threads: M2.5×0.45, Max torque 0.5 N·m

2. Worktable (mount fixture / workpiece)

Table tapped holes: M4×0.7, Max tightening torque 1.2 N·m

Worktable is moving cross-roller guide assembly. Never over-torque.

3. Air port thread

Port: M3×0.5, compatible with miniature pneumatic fittings.

Important: M2.5 screws require low torque value. Torque wrench recommended; do not rely on hand-feel.

2. Four Mounting Configurations

1) Bottom-mount (Most common, horizontal orientation)

Fasten screws upward through bottom-body tapped holes. Slide table faces upward, horizontal reciprocation.

Application: Transfer, push-pull, vision feed.

Advantage: Best-case loading condition, maximum allowable load capacity.

Note: Screw insertion depth ≤3.5 mm. Do not contact internal guide components.

2) Side-mount (Wall-mount lateral installation)

Fasten into lateral body tapped holes. Slide table performs horizontal motion while unit stands on its side.

Application: Conveyor-line stop mechanisms, limited-height machine layout.

Side-mount increases applied moment. Derate allowable load. Mount workpieces as close to table surface as possible.

3) Top-mount (Overhead / inverted mounting)

Fasten body from above. Cylinder hangs upside-down; worktable moves downwards.

Inverted mounting: Workpiece weight fully loads guide system. Load must be derated. Not suitable for high-speed high-cycle operation.

4) Vertical-axis mounting (Up-down motion)

Slide travel oriented vertically. Worktable moves up and down.

❗Risk: Workpiece weight directly alters cushioning performance. Flow-control valves mandatory for low-speed operation. Not for heavy payloads. Recommended vertical-mount payload ≤150 g.

3. Auto-Switch Installation
4. Auto-switches (D-M9BW / D-A93) install in T-slots on both sides of stationary body, not on moving worktable.
5. Loosen slot-clamping screw, slide auto-switch to desired trigger position, retighten.
6. T-slots available on both sides; 1 or 2 auto-switches may be fitted.
7. Mounting Procedure
8. Pre-tighten all body-mount screws first, then progressively torque each screw to specified value. Do not fully tighten one screw before others, to avoid body distortion.
9. Mount workpiece onto worktable via M4 screws, observe torque limits.
10. Air test at 0.3-0.4 MPa for full-stroke smooth operation without sticking.

If jamming occurs: Almost always caused by screws inserted too deep compressing cross-roller guide; reduce screw insertion depth.

4. Install flow-control fittings; set piston speed not to exceed 500 mm/s.
5. Adjust auto-switch positions and confirm end-of-travel signal integrity.
6. Critical Mounting Prohibitions (Frequent Failure Sources)
7. Screw insertion depth must never exceed 3.5 mm. Over-length M2.5 screws will destroy guide assembly.
8. Do not apply lateral / transverse external forces to worktable; avoid shock-loading the slide.
9. Never strike body or worktable after installation; cross-roller pre-load will be lost, creating backlash.
10. Vertical-mount applications: Workpiece weight impairs rubber-bumper performance. Select -B hydraulic-shock-absorber model for frequent vertical cycling.
11. Do not specify load purely by thrust rating; calculate applied moment. Max allowable moment for MXS6-30: 1.2 N·m.
12. Stacked Multi-axis Mounting (XY Platform)