NCA1 NFPA Tie Rod Cylinders
The SMC NCA1 is a medium-duty, NFPA-interchangeable tie rod air cylinder covering bore sizes from 1.5" to 8", with a crimped piston rod assembly, pre-lubricated design, and up to 22 mounting styles. As an authorized SMC Corporation of America distributor, Automation Distribution stocks 203 NCA1 series SKUs across standard, environmental, temperature-resistant, adjustable-stroke, and accessory configurations — the broadest SMC NCA1 selection in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
SMC NCA1 NFPA tie rod cylinder overview
NFPA interchangeability is the defining feature of the NCA1. The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) T3.6.7 standard defines specific mounting dimensions, port locations, rod thread sizes, and tie rod bolt patterns for pneumatic cylinders across all bore sizes. Any cylinder from any manufacturer that conforms to the standard can be replaced by any other NFPA-compliant cylinder of the same bore — including the SMC NCA1. This means the NCA1 is a direct dimensional replacement for NFPA cylinders from Parker, Bimba, Numatics, Clippard, PHD, Fabco-Air, and other manufacturers, without modifying the machine's mounting hardware, porting, or rod end connections.
The NCA1 is pre-lubricated as standard with a factory-applied grease — no line lubricator is required for standard bore sizes (1.5"–4"). The crimped piston rod assembly provides a secure, leak-resistant rod-to-piston connection. Air cushion is standard on both ends for end-of-stroke damping. The expanded bore range (5"–8") comes standard with adjustable air cushion.
NCA1 specifications
Bore sizes (medium duty): 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3.25", 4" (metric equivalents: approximately 38mm, 50mm, 63mm, 82mm, 100mm)
Bore sizes (expanded line): 5", 6", 8" with adjustable air cushion standard
Standard strokes: 1/2" to 12" (medium duty); contact for expanded bore stroke range
Mounting styles: 11 standard (medium duty); up to 22 mounting styles (expanded and options variants)
Rod assembly: Crimped piston rod assembly — secure, leak-resistant rod-to-piston connection
Lubrication: Pre-lubricated — no line lubricator required
Cushion: Air cushion standard both ends; adjustable air cushion on 5"–8" bore
NFPA standard: NFPA T3.6.7 interchangeable — direct replacement for Parker, Bimba, Numatics, PHD, and other NFPA cylinders
Auto switch: Auto-switch capable; built-in magnet available (NCDA1 prefix)
NCA1 standard mounting styles
The NCA1's 11 standard mounting styles cover every common North American machine mounting pattern. Mounting style is encoded in the part number immediately following "NCA1" or "NCDA1":
B — Basic (side-ported, through-hole mounting)
C — Single clevis, rear
D — Double clevis, rear
F — Front head flange (MF1)
G — Rear head flange
L — Foot mounting (MS1)
R — Rear pivot (eye)
T — Trunnion, center
U — Trunnion, rear
X — Side lug (MS2)
Additional styles available through expanded and options variants, up to 22 total configurations
NCA1 variants and special options
Standard double acting, single rod
The base NCA1 configuration. Double acting, single rod, NFPA interchangeable, pre-lubricated, air cushion both ends. Bore sizes 1.5"–4", 11 mounting styles. Always specify NCDA1 (with built-in magnet) over NCA1 when auto switch position sensing is required or may be needed in the future — retrofitting a magnet requires full cylinder replacement.
Double rod and non-rotating variants
Double rod NCA1 cylinders provide equal push and pull force with rod extensions on both ends of the cylinder. Non-rotating rod variants maintain piston rod angular orientation throughout the stroke for applications where a tool or fixture attached to the rod must stay aligned — labeling heads, dispensing nozzles, and cam-driven mechanisms.
Oversized rod and large bore variants
Oversized rod options provide a larger-diameter piston rod for applications with significant side loading or where the standard rod diameter is insufficient for the required buckling load at long strokes. Large bore options extend the NCA1 range beyond the standard 1.5"–4" medium duty lineup.
Dual operation — XC10 and XC11 dual stroke
The NCA1 dual stroke variants (XC11 single rod, XC10 double rod) provide two independently controlled stroke positions within a single cylinder body — effectively combining two cylinders into one. Used in applications requiring three-position logic (retracted, intermediate, fully extended) without adding a second cylinder and mounting structure.
Temperature-resistant options
XB6 — High temperature: Rated for use in environments up to 300°F (150°C). Uses high-temp seals and lubrication for oven, dryer, and heat tunnel applications where standard NBR seals fail prematurely.
XB7 — Low temperature: Rated for use in environments down to –22°F (–30°C). Uses low-temp seals and lubrication for freezer, cold storage, and outdoor winter applications.
Environmental options
XC6 — Stainless steel piston rod: Replaces the standard chrome-plated carbon steel rod with a stainless steel rod for improved corrosion resistance in wash-down, chemical exposure, and food processing environments.
XC22 — Fluoro-rubber seals: FKM (Viton-equivalent) seals for resistance to oils, hydraulic fluids, fuels, and aggressive chemicals that degrade standard NBR seals.
XC35 — Coil scraper: Adds a coil-spring rod scraper for use in welding environments with weld spatter, abrasive particulate, and metallic chip contamination that would damage standard rod seals.
X130US — Full stainless hardware: Stainless steel piston rod, tie rods, tie rod nuts, and cushion valve needle for maximum corrosion resistance in severe wash-down or outdoor environments.
Stroke options
XC8 / XC9 — Adjustable stroke: Infinitely adjustable stop position within the adjustable range, allowing the effective stroke length to be set and changed without replacing the cylinder. Useful in applications where the work position changes between product runs or tooling setups.
XB9 — Low speed: Smooth cylinder movement at very low speeds, down to 0.4 inches per second. Used in applications where standard seal friction causes stick-slip at low operating pressure or flow-controlled low speeds.
NCA1 mounting accessories
SMC stocks a complete NCA1 mounting accessory line by bore size, including foot mounting (MS1), side lug mounting (MS2), front head flange (MF1), double clevis mounting in two configurations (MP1, MP2), single clevis mounting (MP4), eye brackets, single rod clevis, double rod clevis, and complete seal kits for field service. All accessories are ordered by bore size and are NFPA-dimensionally compatible with other NCA1-standard cylinders.
How to read an NCA1 part number
Example: NCDA1F250-0300B-XC6
N = new series designation; C = cylinder; D = built-in magnet; A1 = NCA1 series; F = mounting style (F = front head flange); 250 = 2.50" bore; 0300 = 3.00" stroke (in hundredths of an inch); B = cushion type (B = rubber bumper; N = air cushion; A = adjustable air cushion); XC6 = stainless steel piston rod option. The bore is expressed in hundredths of an inch: 150 = 1.50", 200 = 2.00", 250 = 2.50", 325 = 3.25", 400 = 4.00".
NCA1 NFPA cylinder cross-reference — SMC to other brands
The NCA1 directly replaces NFPA-interchangeable cylinders from the following manufacturers when the bore size and mounting style match. No machine modification is required in standard configurations:
Parker (P1D series), Bimba (PNEU-TURN and FO series NFPA), Numatics (round body NFPA), PHD (PCB/PCC series), Fabco-Air (PANCAKE cylinders), Clippard (UDR series), and other NFPA T3.6.7-compliant cylinders. Contact our application engineering team to confirm cross-reference compatibility for your specific part number and configuration before ordering.
NCA1 applications
The NCA1 is the standard pneumatic cylinder for North American industrial machine building wherever NFPA dimensional compliance is required or where direct replacement of an existing NFPA cylinder is needed. Common applications include automotive assembly line tooling and fixtures, material handling and transfer equipment, packaging and filling machinery, machine tool workholder actuation, hydraulic press and stamping machine ancillary functions, and MRO replacement of worn or obsolete cylinders from other manufacturers. The environmental and temperature options extend the NCA1's usable range into food processing, wash-down, welding, cold storage, and high-temperature processing environments.