"Less is more" seems to be the trend in the pneumatic actuator market. Real estate on production equipment is at a premium today more than ever. This just confirms that Alfred W. Schmidt (the founder of Fabco-Air) was ahead of the curve when he designed the original Pancake air cylinder in the late 1950s. This pneumatic actuator was designed to satisfy the need for short-stroke, low-profile, compact air cylinders that can fit in tight spaces. In fact, this cylinder provides the longest stroke possible in the smallest overall envelope size. Six decades later, compact air cylinders are still a big deal!

Today, compact pneumatic cylinders are the primary mechanism for linear actuation when space is limited. Frequently referenced as short-stroke cylinders, these devices are available with bore sizes ranging from 0.5 to 4 inches and standard strokes ranging from 0.0625 to 4 inches.