The SMC MXQ16-20AS-X11 is a compact air slide table designed for machine builders who need accurate linear travel, stable load guidance, and repeatable short-stroke motion in a limited installation space. Within SMC’s current MXQ lineup, the plain MXQ designation refers to the height interchangeable type, and the series is classified as a double-acting air slide table available in bore sizes including 16 mm. SMC’s web catalog for an MXQ16-20 model states that the series integrates the guide rail and table and uses a recirculating linear guide for high rigidity and high precision. In that same catalog structure, 16 mm bore and 20 mm stroke are explicitly identified for MXQ16-20 configurations.
What makes MXQ16-20AS-X11 more specific than a base MXQ16-20 is the adjuster specification. In SMC’s option nomenclature, AS identifies an extension-end rubber stopper adjuster. SMC’s current series material also states that -X11 is the long adjusting bolt specification, extending the average stroke adjustment range from 5 mm to 15 mm. SMC further notes that -X11 is not available for shock absorber variants, which is consistent with this model being a rubber-stopper adjuster type rather than a shock-absorber type.
In practical terms, this means the product is aimed at applications where the designer wants more than simple cylinder thrust. The integrated guide structure gives the moving table better resistance to moment load and deflection than a basic unguided cylinder, while the extension-end rubber stopper adjuster gives the user a controllable forward-end stop position. The -X11 version is especially useful when the standard 5 mm adjustability is not enough and additional stroke trimming is needed during setup or machine refinement. That is an engineering interpretation based on SMC’s published series construction and adjuster specifications.
Key Specifications
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Brand | SMC |
| Model | MXQ16-20AS-X11 |
| Product Type | Air Slide Table |
| Series | MXQ Series |
| Type | Height interchangeable type |
| Action | Double acting |
| Bore Size | 16 mm |
| Stroke | 20 mm |
| Guide Mechanism | Recirculating linear guide |
| Adjuster Option | AS = Extension-end rubber stopper adjuster |
| Made-to-Order Option | X11 = Long adjusting bolt |
| Standard Adjustment Range | 5 mm |
| X11 Adjustment Range | 15 mm |
| Fluid | Air |
| Operating Pressure | 0.15 to 0.7 MPa |
| Proof Pressure | 1.05 MPa |
| Ambient / Fluid Temperature | -10 to 60°C |
| Operating Speed Range | 50 to 500 mm/s |
| Cushion | Rubber bumper for rubber-stopper adjuster type |
| Lubrication | Non-lube |
| Port Size | M5 × 0.8 |
| Net Weight | 539 g reference value |
Weight note: SMC’s publicly exposed current snippets clearly identify the exact model structure and adjuster logic for MXQ16-20AS-X11, but they do not expose one single assembled mass line for this exact suffix combination. A practical reference weight of about 539 g can be derived from two SMC data points: the older MXQ catalog snippet shows MXQ16-20 body mass at 520 g, and SMC’s adjuster service-parts list shows MXQ-AS16 adjuster content at 19 g. Because SMC’s public snippets do not separately publish the complete assembled mass for the -X11 long-bolt configuration, this should be treated as a reference weight, not a guaranteed shipping weight.
Design Logic and Mechanical Value
A product like the MXQ16-20AS-X11 is selected less for raw force and more for controlled motion quality. The integrated table-and-guide arrangement is the core advantage. SMC describes the MXQ family as an air slide table with the guide rail and table integrated, and it specifically calls out the use of a recirculating linear guide. That matters because guided pneumatic motion is often chosen where the load is offset, the tooling plate is wider than the actuator body, or the mechanism must maintain alignment through repeated cycles. In those cases, using a standard cylinder and adding an external guide often increases assembly complexity, alignment work, and total footprint. The MXQ structure solves those problems in a single compact body.
The 16 mm bore and 20 mm stroke place this model in the category of short-stroke precision transport and positioning. It is not intended to behave like a long-travel slide table or a heavy external linear module. Its value lies in making a short movement stable, repeatable, and mechanically tidy. For many compact automation stations, that is exactly what matters: a short travel that can stop at the correct place every cycle without adding excessive guide hardware around the actuator. This is an engineering interpretation based on the published bore, stroke, guide structure, and adjuster design of the MXQ series.
Why the AS and X11 Combination Matters
The AS code is not a minor suffix. In SMC’s naming structure, it indicates an extension-end rubber stopper adjuster, which means the forward end of travel can be tuned mechanically. That makes the model useful in applications where the workpiece stop point, sensor timing point, or tool engagement point needs to be trimmed during commissioning. Instead of redesigning brackets or relocating fixtures, the installer can fine-tune the usable stroke at the extension end.
The -X11 addition increases the practical value of that adjuster. SMC states that the long adjusting bolt specification extends the adjustment range from 5 mm to 15 mm. That extra range can be important in real equipment, especially when there are tolerance stack-ups in fixtures, variable workpiece sizes, or design-stage uncertainties that are easier to solve with adjustable travel than with remachining hard parts. It also gives more flexibility during maintenance, because replacement setup can be fine-tuned without immediately changing the surrounding mechanism.
Operating Characteristics
SMC publishes the general MXQ series operating conditions as air, double acting, 0.15 to 0.7 MPa operating pressure, 1.05 MPa proof pressure, -10 to 60°C ambient and fluid temperature, and 50 to 500 mm/s operating speed range. SMC also states that metal-stopper adjuster versions are limited to 50 to 200 mm/s, but that restriction is associated with the metal-stopper type rather than the rubber-stopper configuration used here. Since MXQ16-20AS-X11 is a rubber-stopper adjuster variant, the standard MXQ speed envelope is the relevant public reference.
From a machine-design standpoint, those operating figures place the product squarely in mainstream industrial pneumatic automation. It is suitable for common compressed-air systems and does not require unusual supply conditions. The product’s role is generally not to deliver large gripping or pressing force, but to provide guided translation with controlled end positioning. That is why the guide architecture and adjustment logic matter more than bore size alone when evaluating this unit. This is an engineering interpretation grounded in the published specification set and series construction.
Typical Use Cases
The MXQ16-20AS-X11 is well suited to precision transfer, part positioning, small assembly fixtures, sensor-triggered linear positioning, short-stroke stopper functions, and compact tooling movement where side load stability is required. Because the unit has an integrated linear guide, it can handle light to moderate eccentric loading more cleanly than a plain cylinder in the same space. Because it uses an extension-end rubber stopper adjuster, it is also useful where the designer expects to trim final travel during machine setup. These are not separate SMC marketing claims for this exact suffix combination, but reasonable application conclusions derived from the published MXQ design and adjuster scheme.
Another practical advantage is packaging efficiency. SMC positions the MXQ family as a compact slide table platform, and the height-interchangeable format is intended to fit where designers want guided motion without moving to a bulkier standalone linear stage. In densely arranged automation equipment, that can simplify layout, reduce bracket count, and leave more room for sensors, tooling, and tubing.
Conclusion
The SMC MXQ16-20AS-X11 is a compact, guided, short-stroke pneumatic slide designed for applications where alignment, repeatability, and adjustable forward-end positioning matter more than raw actuator size. Its core configuration is clear: MXQ series air slide table, 16 mm bore, 20 mm stroke, double acting, extension-end rubber stopper adjuster, and -X11 long adjusting bolt that extends adjustment capability from 5 mm to 15 mm. Based on publicly exposed SMC data points, a realistic reference weight is approximately 539 g, with the important caveat that SMC’s open snippets do not separately publish a single assembled mass line for this exact suffix combination. For compact automation equipment that needs stable guided motion with wider adjustment latitude, this is a technically sensible model.
