Which mounting method is commonly used for cylinders that are attached to flat surfaces and frequent in machine tool setups?

• A. Foot-mounted
• B. Flange
• C. Clevis
• D. Sub-plate

Answer: (A)

When you need a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder to sit directly on a flat surface, the mounting method used is foot mounting. This approach provides a stable base with mounting feet that bolt straight onto the flat surface, keeping the cylinder aligned and minimizing bending loads on the mounting hardware. It’s compact, simple to install, and well-suited to machine tool setups where space is tight and a rigid, unmoved position is important.

Other methods serve different needs: flange mounting attaches a flange on the cylinder end to a surface or bracket for a very rigid, strong connection but requires a compatible mounting surface; clevis mounting uses a yoke and pin to allow rotation or linkage connections; sub-plates add an intermediate plate to adapt the cylinder to various frames or to share mounting with multiple cylinders. For mounting to flat surfaces in common machine tool configurations, foot mounting is the most straightforward and practical choice.