AirTAC vs SMC — what actually differs, spec by spec

We cross-referenced both makers’ profile and compact cylinder families against their own catalogs. Three specs differ at every bore — and the list is shorter than most buyers expect.

On an ISO 15552 profile cylinder of the same bore, exactly three things differ: the port thread form, the default seal compound, and the minimum operating pressure. Everything that decides whether the cylinder physically fits — mounting pattern, rod-end thread, nominal port size, pressure ceiling, proof pressure, cushioning, temperature band — matches, because ISO 15552 fixes the interface and both makers declare conformance to it. All three differences are things you set when you order, not things you discover after installing.

The three differences, at every bore we checked

These held across every SMC C96 to AirTAC SAI configuration we verified — Ø32, Ø50, Ø63 and Ø100 — which is what makes them worth learning once rather than re-deriving per part:

Spec	SMC C96	AirTAC SAI	What to do
Port thread form	G (BSPP), parallel, standard	Inch nominal sizes; G available on request	Order the AirTAC with the G option to match SMC plumbing.
Default seal compound	NBR	TPU (NBR and FKM/Viton are order options)	Order the NBR option to match SMC, or keep TPU deliberately.
Minimum operating pressure	0.05 MPa	0.15 MPa	Only matters if you run below 0.15 MPa. Above it, no effect.

One caution on the port thread: AirTAC’s catalog lists inch nominal sizes and states that a G thread is available. It does not state NPT. Distributor listings that show a G/NPT/PT menu are going beyond what the maker publishes, so confirm the thread form on your order rather than assuming it.

This delta set is specific to SMC — it does not transfer

It would be convenient if these three were the answer for every Western brand against AirTAC. They are not, and assuming so would cost you an order. Of the three, only two are properties of the AirTAC side and therefore travel:

Port thread and minimum pressure travel. The G thread is an order option and the 1.5 bar starting pressure is a property of the SAI, so both apply whichever Western brand you are replacing.
The seal delta does not travel — it is an SMC property. SMC’s C96 is NBR as standard, which is why you order the NBR option to match it. Festo’s DSBC and Parker’s P1F both ship a polyurethane seal as standard, the same class as the AirTAC’s TPU — so replacing those two needs no seal change at all.
Against Festo and Parker a different delta appears: temperature. Both are rated to 80 °C where the AirTAC SAI stops at 70 °C. Against the SMC C96 that delta does not exist, because the C96 is also around 70 °C.

The transferable lesson is the method, not the list: identify which deltas belong to the part you are replacing and which belong to the replacement. Only the second kind are the same on your next substitution.

What matches — and why

ISO 15552 fixes the mounting and rod-end dimensions for each bore, so two conforming cylinders share the interface. Both series declare it: SMC states “Series C96 cylinders conform to ISO 15552,” and AirTAC’s catalog labels the SAI an “ISO15552 (original ISO6431) standard cylinder.” Verified as matching across the bores we checked:

Bore and stroke
ISO 15552 mounting pattern
Rod-end male thread (M10×1.25 at Ø32; M16×1.5 at Ø50 and Ø63)
Nominal port size (G1/8 at Ø32; G1/4 at Ø50; G3/8 at Ø63)
Maximum operating pressure (1.0 MPa)
Proof pressure (1.5 MPa)
Cushioning — adjustable at both ends
Temperature band (approximately −20 to 70 °C)
Carbon-steel piston rod

The mechanism matters more than the list: the match is not a coincidence of two makers converging, it is the standard doing its job. That is also why it does not extend to families where no standard applies — see below. Background: what ISO 15552 actually guarantees.

Where the comparison stops working: compact cylinders

The compact family behaves differently, and assuming otherwise is the most common mistake here. Neither the SMC CDQ2 nor the AirTAC ACQ declares ISO 21287. The mounts match in practice — the ACQ follows the SMC CQ2 and JIS shape — but that is a de-facto convention, not a standard, and we did not dimension-verify the bolt-hole pattern. Check it against both dimension tables before you commit.

The compact family also carries a variant trap worth knowing: SMC’s …DZ has a built-in magnet, so the matching AirTAC part is ACQ…S (with magnet), not the base part. Order the base part and the position sensors on your line will simply never see the piston. Full detail: the compact cross-reference.

What neither maker publishes

This is the honest limit of any spec-sheet comparison, including ours. Neither SMC nor AirTAC publishes a cycle-life or B10 figure for these cylinder series. So if service life under a high duty cycle is what actually decides your choice, no datasheet comparison — ours or anyone’s — can answer it. That question is settled by testing at your duty cycle, or not settled at all. We would rather say that plainly than publish a comparison that quietly implies the paper specs cover it.

The two companies

SMC Corporationis Japanese, headquartered in Tokyo, and describes itself as the world’s largest manufacturer of pneumatic automation parts. Estimates of its global share cluster around 35–40 percent, though those are trade estimates rather than an audited figure.

AirTAC International Groupis headquartered in Taipei and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under code 1590. It manufactures at three bases: Ningbo (Zhejiang) and Foshan (Guangdong) in mainland China, and Tainan in Taiwan. Trade estimates put it at roughly 27 percent of China’s pneumatics market in 2023, second domestically — again a secondary estimate, not an audited number. The accurate description is Taiwan-headquartered and China-manufactured.

Frequently asked

What is the real difference between an AirTAC and an SMC cylinder?

On an ISO 15552 profile cylinder of the same bore, three things differ and the rest matches. SMC ships a G (BSPP) parallel port as standard while AirTAC lists inch nominal sizes with G available on request; SMC's standard seal is NBR while AirTAC's is TPU; and AirTAC needs 0.15 MPa to start where SMC needs 0.05 MPa. Bore, stroke, mounting, rod-end thread, nominal port size, maximum pressure, proof pressure, cushioning and temperature band all match, because ISO 15552 fixes the interface and both makers declare conformance.

Is AirTAC a Chinese company?

AirTAC International Group is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under code 1590. It manufactures in mainland China at Ningbo (Zhejiang) and Foshan (Guangdong), and in Tainan, Taiwan. The accurate description is Taiwan-headquartered and China-manufactured, not a Chinese company.

Can I compare AirTAC and SMC on cylinder service life?

No, and you should be careful with anyone who tells you otherwise. Neither SMC nor AirTAC publishes a cycle-life or B10 figure for these cylinder series, so there is no published basis for a life comparison. If duty cycle is what decides your choice, that question can only be settled by testing, not by reading the datasheets.

Does the same comparison hold for compact cylinders?

Only partly, and the difference matters. The ISO 15552 profile family matches on the mount because both makers declare the standard. The compact family does not: neither the SMC CDQ2 nor the AirTAC ACQ declares ISO 21287, so the shared mount is a de-facto convention rather than a standard, and you should check the mounting-hole pattern against both dimension tables yourself. The compact family also carries a magnet trap — SMC's DZ variant has a built-in magnet, so the AirTAC equivalent is ACQ with the S suffix, not the base part.

Sources

SMC C96/CP96 catalog (CAT.EUS20-204B-UK) and the SMC C96 product page — “Series C96 cylinders conform to ISO 15552.”
AirTAC SAI series catalog — “ISO15552 (original ISO6431) standard cylinder”; per-bore rod-end and nominal port sizes.
SMC CQ2/CDQ2-Z catalog (Best Pneumatics No.2) and AirTAC ACQ series catalog (2024-09) — neither declares ISO 21287.
AirTAC corporate site and Taiwan Stock Exchange listing (code 1590) for headquarters and production bases. Market-share figures are third-party trade estimates, attributed as such.

How we verify every equivalent →