DISTRIBUTOR-FIRST SUPPLY PARTNER · SINCE 1999 Live · Pneumatic Automation System
SPC Company
System 02 / 05  ·  Distributor enablement

Pneumatic Automation System

Spec a complete pneumatic motion system — from machine-inlet air prep to every actuator, valve and fitting that goes on the build sheet.

The 7 layers — your map of the system
02

The system, layer by layer

Click a layer to open it
1 Air Preparation Conditions the incoming air at the machine — clean, regulated, the right pressure. ▸
Role in the system
FRL Units
The first thing every machine sees — filters, regulates and (where needed) lubricates the incoming air so the valves and actuators downstream get clean air at a controlled pressure.
Choose by fit
FRL Combination Unit → Filter-Regulator → Standalone Regulator →
2 Distribution & Conveyance Carries the air from the machine inlet out to every point of motion. ▸
Role in the system
Push-to-Connect Fittings
Tool-free push-to-connect in composite, technopolymer, brass, stainless and food-grade — the connection system that makes a pneumatic machine fast to build and service. SPC's deepest portfolio, anchored on Sang-A.
Choose by fit
Composite Push-to-Connect Fitting → Technopolymer Push-to-Connect Fitting → Metallic / Brass Fitting → Stainless Steel Push-to-Connect Fitting → NSF Food-Grade Push-to-Connect Fitting →
Role in the system
Functional Fittings
Push-to-connect bodies that also do a job — swivel a rotating connection, hold a line at the connection point. The Sang-A functional-fitting line; grows as the catalog is pulled.
Choose by fit
Rotary Joint At any rotating axis — turntables, reels, indexers, end-of-arm tooling — where a fixed fitting would wind up and fatigue the air line. → Stop Fitting Push-to-connect fitting with a built-in shutoff — disconnect the tube and the air stops at the port, no bleeding the branch. →
Role in the system
Specialty Fittings
The non-push-to-connect families — instrumentation double-ferrule for high-purity and analyzer lines, and DOT air-brake for commercial vehicle circuits. Different mechanism, different code basis.
Choose by fit
Instrumentation Stainless Tube Fitting → DOT Air Brake Fitting →
Role in the system
Tubing
The lines that route air to each actuator — selected by chemistry and motion, not by cost. PE, PU, nylon and fluoropolymer matched to the service.
Choose by fit
Polyethylene (PE) Tubing → Polyurethane (PU) Tubing → Nylon (PA) Tubing → FEP / PTFE Tubing →
Role in the system
Quick Couplers
The disconnects that let a tool or sub-assembly come off the machine without breaking the circuit — industrial, safety-vented and the plugs that mate them.
Choose by fit
Industrial Quick Coupler → Safety Quick Coupler → Quick Coupler Plug →
Role in the system
Modular Piping
The plant-header conversation — extruded aluminum pipe with mechanical O-ring joints replacing legacy black iron. Fast install, no rust, leak-tight.
Product type
Modular Aluminum Piping Plant-wide air mains — fast install, no corrosion. →
3 Control & Valving Switches and directs the air — the logic that commands every motion. ▸
Role in the system
Directional Control Valves
The switches of the system — solenoid, mechanical, manifold-mount and ATEX valves that route air to extend, retract and sequence each actuator, plus the seal kits that rebuild them.
Choose by fit
Solenoid Valve → ATEX Solenoid Valve → Mechanical Valve → Manifold / Sub-base Valve → Valve Replacement Parts →
Role in the system
Manual & Shutoff Valves
Hand-operated and lockable isolation valves — point-of-use shutoffs for LOTO and service, ball and hand valves for manual on/off control.
Choose by fit
1/4-Turn Shutoff Valve → Ball Valve One per drop or branch take-off — the lockable point where a line gets isolated for service. → Hand Valve At the workstation where an operator needs direct manual control of an air circuit. →
Role in the system
Valve Terminals & Regulators
Valve banks that talk to the PLC over a single network cable, plus electronic pressure regulation for closed-loop force control.
Choose by fit
IO-Link Valve Terminal → Proportional Pressure Regulator →
Role in the system
Silencers
One per valve exhaust port — silences the discharge and keeps debris out. The highest-volume consumable on a pneumatic machine.
Choose by fit
Sintered Bronze Muffler → Plastic-Body Muffler →
4 Actuation Converts air into motion — the muscle of the machine. The densest layer. ▸
Role in the system
Cylinders
Linear motion in every body style — the core actuator. Choose by mounting, stroke, force and envelope.
Choose by fit
Compact Cylinder → ISO Standard Cylinder → Heavy-Duty / Cast Cylinder → Non-Rotating Cylinder → Rodless Cylinder → NFPA Tie-Rod Cylinder →
Role in the system
Rotary & Electric Actuators
Rotary motion for indexing and clamping, plus the electric drop-in path when a job needs programmable position or precise force.
Choose by fit
Rotary Actuator → Electric Actuator →
Role in the system
Vacuum End-Effectors
Pick-and-place built from the air you already have — an ejector makes the vacuum, cups do the gripping, a sensor confirms the part.
Choose by fit
Vacuum Ejector / Generator → Vacuum Cup / Suction Cup → Vacuum Sensor / Switch →
5 Motion Control Shapes and protects the motion at the work point — speed, flow, and end-of-stroke shock. ▸
Role in the system
Speed & Flow Controls
The dials on the motion — meter a cylinder's speed at its ports, set flow direction, and hold load on a line. The second sale on every actuator.
Choose by fit
Speed Controller → Flow Control Valve → Check Valve →
Role in the system
Shock Absorbers
End-of-stroke protection — shock absorbers that catch a moving load without slamming, protecting the machine frame and the cycle time.
Choose by fit
Pneumatic Shock Absorber — Adjustable → Pneumatic Shock Absorber — Self-Compensating →
6 Sensing & Feedback Measures what the machine is doing — position, pressure, cycle count — and closes the loop. ▸
Role in the system
Sensors & Switches
The feedback loop — position sensors, pressure and vacuum switches that confirm motion and stream cycle data back to the controller.
Choose by fit
Cylinder Position Sensor → Pressure Sensor Basic system feedback and control. → Vacuum Sensor / Switch →
7 Fluid Processing & Handling Coming soon — the fluid & process line adjacent to your air systems (WOG valves, strainers, couplings, hose, instrumentation). ▸
Role in the system
Coming Soon
The fluid & process handling domain — WOG valves, strainers, camlock & grooved couplings, flexible steel hose, and process instrumentation — products your customers need alongside the air systems. Being built out now; products available on request in the meantime.
Product type
03

Working on this system? You'll also need…

If you're… Building a machine but you have no air supply
A compressor, treatment and storage upstream
Compressed Air System →
If you're… Building a pick-and-place machine
A complete vacuum end-effector package — ejector, cups, sensor
Vacuum End-Effector add-on →
If you're… Moving from pneumatic to electric for position or precision
A drop-in electric actuator with controller, ROI and retrofit guide
Electric Actuator Migration →
If you're… Pulling true vacuum at point of use, not via an air ejector
Vacuum pumps and a full vacuum system
Vacuum System →
If you're… Adding IIoT or predictive maintenance to your machines
A smart IO-Link valve terminal and an integration consult
Smart Pneumatics — IO-Link →
If you're… Looking up a valve, cylinder or fitting by competitor number
The in-stock cross-referenced equivalent
Parts & MRO Cross-Reference Catalog →
04

Certification & application filters

Food & Pharma
NSF-rated FRL, food-grade push-to-connect fittings and tubing
Hazardous Location
ATEX-rated valves, air prep and cylinders for Class 1 Div 1 areas
High Purity / Instrumentation
316 SS push-to-connect and instrumentation tube fittings

Not sure how it all fits together?

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