Collection: EMC Series SFS ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinders

Technical information & FAQs

EMC SFS ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinders

EMC Series SFS pneumatic cylinders are double-acting ISO 21287 compact actuators designed for machinery where installation length is limited but standardised pneumatic cylinder dimensions are still required. The short body format allows useful linear force to be installed in considerably less axial space than a conventional profile pneumatic cylinder.

The SFS range covers bore sizes from 20 to 100 mm and includes a wide selection of short and medium stroke lengths. Magnetic piston sensing is standard on the verified range, making SFS suitable for automated fixtures, clamping systems, assembly machinery, handling equipment and other applications where the control system needs confirmation of cylinder position.

For a longer conventional profile actuator, compare EMC XLE pneumatic cylinders. You can also browse all EMC pneumatic cylinders or compare the wider ISO 21287 compact pneumatic cylinder range.

Designed Around Limited Installation Space

The principal reason to choose SFS is its compact construction. On fixtures, packaging machines, assembly stations and production equipment, there is often enough room for the required piston diameter but not enough axial space for a conventional long-body pneumatic cylinder.

ISO 21287 addresses this by using a shorter actuator format. EMC SFS therefore gives machine builders and maintenance engineers a compact route to pneumatic force without unnecessarily increasing the overall machine envelope.

EMC SFS Technical Specification

Manufacturer	EMC
Series	SFS
Product Category	Compact pneumatic cylinders
Dimensional Standard	ISO 21287
Operation	Double acting
Bore Range	20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 63, 80 and 100 mm
Verified Stroke Range	5 to 200 mm depending on bore and configuration
Position Detection	Magnetic piston
Head and Foot	Aluminium
Cylinder Tube	Anodised aluminium
Piston Rod	Material depends on size; verified 32–100 mm versions use hard-chrome-plated steel
Seal Materials	NBR / PUR
Maximum Operating Pressure	10 bar
Temperature Range	-20°C to +80°C in the verified EMC catalogue data
Cylinder Switch Types	D and A series
Rod Connection Option	External male piston-rod thread available on -B versions

SFS Bore Sizes from 20 to 100 mm

EMC offers the compact SFS platform across eight bore sizes, allowing the same general actuator format to cover anything from small locating movements to considerably higher-force clamping and handling duties.

20 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — small compact actuators for lightweight automation.
25 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — increased force while maintaining a very small body.
32 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — common compact machinery and fixture applications.
40 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — general clamping, positioning and assembly duties.
50 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — higher-force movement within a compact installation length.
63 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — substantial compact pneumatic actuation.
80 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — high-force compact machine movements.
100 mm bore pneumatic cylinders — the largest verified standard SFS bore in the current Cylinder Warehouse range.

Small Bore, Short Stroke or High Force

SFS is not limited to one type of compact-cylinder application. The current EMC catalogue contains very short strokes such as 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mm as well as longer configurations extending to 200 mm.

This means the range can be used for a short clamp or locating pin at one end of the spectrum and a considerably longer compact machine movement at the other.

For example, the current catalogue includes SFS 20/5, SFS 32/200, SFS 63/200 and SFS 100/200, demonstrating how widely the basic SFS platform can be configured.

M5 or G1/8 Pneumatic Connections

The air connection changes with cylinder size. Verified 20 and 25 mm SFS products use an M5 pneumatic connection, while the 32 mm and larger products in the current catalogue use G1/8.

Bore	Verified Pneumatic Port
20 mm	M5
25 mm	M5
32 mm	G1/8
40 mm	G1/8
50 mm	G1/8
63 mm	G1/8
80 mm	G1/8
100 mm	G1/8

This is why the full EMC manufacturer part number should be used wherever possible when sourcing a replacement rather than selecting from bore and stroke alone.

Standard SFS or SFS -B?

The EMC range includes standard SFS products and -B variants. The -B designation identifies the optional piston rod with an external male thread.

For example, SFS 32/50 and SFS 32/50-B share the same 32 mm bore and 50 mm stroke but use different piston-rod connection arrangements.

This is an important replacement detail because the pneumatic cylinder can have the correct external dimensions while still being unsuitable for the existing tooling if the wrong rod-end configuration is selected.

Magnetic Position Feedback

EMC SFS pneumatic cylinders use a magnetic piston and are specified for compatible D- and A-series cylinder switches.

This allows non-contact position sensing to be incorporated directly into automated machinery, giving the PLC confirmation that a clamp, stop, fixture or handling mechanism has reached the required position.

Compact Aluminium Construction

The SFS body uses aluminium head and foot components with an anodised aluminium cylinder tube. Standard seals are NBR / PUR.

The current technical data also distinguishes piston-rod construction by cylinder size. In particular, verified SFS products from 32 to 100 mm bore specify a hard-chrome-plated steel piston rod, so material should be checked against the individual MPN where it is important to the application.

SFS or XLE?

EMC Series	Standard	Construction	Primary Reason to Choose It
SFS	ISO 21287	Compact pneumatic cylinder	Minimum axial installation length
XLE	ISO 15552	Conventional profile pneumatic cylinder	General industrial actuation using the larger ISO profile format

These two EMC families can overlap in bore and stroke but they are not the same mounting format. SFS should be the starting point when compact ISO 21287 dimensions are required; XLE should be considered when the machine is designed around ISO 15552.

Replacing an Existing EMC SFS Pneumatic Cylinder

The manufacturer's complete code gives the fastest route to an exact replacement. A marking such as SFS 63/100 identifies an EMC 63 mm bore × 100 mm stroke double-acting ISO 21287 pneumatic cylinder.

If the existing code contains -B, preserve that suffix unless the tooling is being changed because it identifies the alternative male piston-rod thread.

If the original EMC unit cannot be supplied, browse the wider ISO 21287 compact pneumatic cylinder range to investigate alternatives while comparing bore, stroke, rod connection, pneumatic port and mounting dimensions.

EMC SFS Selection Questions

Is EMC SFS definitely ISO 21287?

Yes. The EMC catalogue identifies SFS as a double-acting ISO 21287 compact pneumatic cylinder range.

Is SFS double acting?

Yes. The SFS products currently catalogued by Cylinder Warehouse are double acting, so compressed air powers both directions of movement.

What does -B mean on an EMC SFS part number?

The -B option identifies an external male piston-rod thread. Standard and -B versions can have the same bore and stroke but different tooling connections.

Does SFS support magnetic position sensing?

Yes. Verified SFS technical data specifies a magnetic piston and compatibility with D- and A-series cylinder switches.

What is the smallest SFS bore?

The current Cylinder Warehouse catalogue starts at 20 mm bore.

What is the largest SFS bore?

The verified range extends to 100 mm bore.

Can I use SFS instead of an ISO 15552 pneumatic cylinder?

Not as a direct dimensional substitution. SFS follows ISO 21287 compact geometry, while a series such as EMC XLE follows ISO 15552. The mounting format and overall dimensions are different.

Where can I see the rest of the EMC range?

Browse all EMC pneumatic cylinders or return to the main pneumatic cylinder collection to compare other manufacturers and actuator types.

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135 pneumatic cylinder products in this range.

EMC
SFSA 32/25
32mm bore x 25mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/25

£59.40 EX VAT

£71.28 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/15
32mm bore x 15mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/15

£57.62 EX VAT

£69.14 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/80
32mm bore x 80mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/80

£66.96 EX VAT

£80.35 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/60
32mm bore x 60mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/60

£63.17 EX VAT

£75.80 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/50
32mm bore x 50mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/50

£62.81 EX VAT

£75.37 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/5
32mm bore x 5mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/5

£55.80 EX VAT

£66.96 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/40
32mm bore x 40mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/40

£61.02 EX VAT

£73.22 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/30
32mm bore x 30mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/30

£60.12 EX VAT

£72.14 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/20
32mm bore x 20mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/20

£58.35 EX VAT

£70.02 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/100
32mm bore x 100mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/100

£70.82 EX VAT

£84.98 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 32/10
32mm bore x 10mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 32/10

£56.54 EX VAT

£67.85 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/25
25mm bore x 25mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/25

£51.45 EX VAT

£61.74 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/15
25mm bore x 15mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/15

£50.00 EX VAT

£60.00 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/80
25mm bore x 80mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/80

£57.95 EX VAT

£69.54 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/60
25mm bore x 60mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/60

£54.84 EX VAT

£65.81 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/50
25mm bore x 50mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/50

£54.62 EX VAT

£65.54 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/5
25mm bore x 5mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/5

£48.18 EX VAT

£57.82 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/40
25mm bore x 40mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/40

£52.83 EX VAT

£63.40 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/30
25mm bore x 30mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/30

£52.17 EX VAT

£62.60 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/20
25mm bore x 20mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/20

£50.72 EX VAT

£60.86 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 25/100
25mm bore x 100mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/100

£61.08 EX VAT

£73.30 INC VAT

View Details
EMC
SFSA 25/10
25mm bore x 10mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 25/10

£48.90 EX VAT

£58.68 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/25
40mm bore x 25mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/25

£66.11 EX VAT

£79.33 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/15
40mm bore x 15mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/15

£64.19 EX VAT

£77.03 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/80
40mm bore x 80mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/80

£73.32 EX VAT

£87.98 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/60
40mm bore x 60mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/60

£69.60 EX VAT

£83.52 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/50
40mm bore x 50mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/50

£69.27 EX VAT

£83.12 INC VAT

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EMC
SFSA 40/5
40mm bore x 5mm stroke
ISO 21287 | ISO 21287 Compact Pneumatic Cylinder
Manufacturer Part Number SFSA 40/5

£62.24 EX VAT

£74.69 INC VAT

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