Check the ISO standard first, then the bore. Metal Work and Festo cylinders on the same standard share mounting, rod-thread and port dimensions, so equal bore, stroke, mounting and magnet means a drop-in swap. Sensor slots and options need a check. Festo DNC and DSBC, Metal Work BTY, ILT and series 3 are all ISO 15552.
This guide answers the question we hear from plants that run Festo cylinders and are asked to quote a Metal Work alternative, or the reverse. The short version is that interchangeability is decided by the ISO standard the cylinder follows, not by the brand name. Get the standard and the bore right and the mechanics line up. The remaining checks are about sensors, options and documentation.
Which series sit on which standard
Both makers publish their standard cylinder families against the same international standards, which is what makes cross-brand fitting possible at all.
| Standard | Festo series | Metal Work series |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 15552 (former ISO 6431 / VDMA 24562) | DNC, DSBC | STD, series 3, BTY, MCR, HCR, ILT (with position feedback, bores 50 to 125) |
| ISO 21287 (compact) | ADN | CMPC, LINER |
| ISO 6432 (round mini) | DSNU (small bores) | ISO 6432 round mini cylinders |
| Not ISO-bound | DFM / DGSL guided, DGC rodless | MULTIFIX / CMPG guided, PU rodless, SWC / SWH swing clamp |
The first three rows are where a direct swap is realistic. The last row is where interchangeability thinking gives way to design comparison.
ISO 15552 is the workhorse row. It absorbed the older ISO 6431 and VDMA 24562 footprints, so a cylinder stamped with any of those three names meets the same dimensions. Festo DNC and DSBC sit here, and so do the main Metal Work profile cylinders. Metal Work lists the family across its STD range (bores 32 to 320 mm) and the application-specific versions: BTY for battery-industry environments, MCR for medium corrosion resistance, HCR for high corrosion resistance, and series 3 as the general configurable type. The ILT version goes a step beyond a standard profile cylinder, with an integrated linear position transducer, which we come back to below.
What ISO 15552 fixes for you
Mounting dimensions, piston-rod thread and port thread are all defined by the standard for each bore. That is why a bore 32 Festo DNC and a bore 32 Metal Work ISO 15552 cylinder accept the same foot brackets, the same G1/8 air line and the same M10x1.25 rod end without machining. The table gives the values that matter for the common bores:
| Bore (mm) | Port thread | Piston-rod thread |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | G1/8 | M10 x 1.25 |
| 40 | G1/4 | M12 x 1.25 |
| 50 | G1/4 | M16 x 1.5 |
| 63 | G3/8 | M16 x 1.5 |
| 80 | G3/8 | M20 x 1.5 |
| 100 | G1/2 | M20 x 1.5 |
| 125 | G1/2 | M27 x 2 |
These are the same numbers in every ISO 15552 catalogue we work from, including Festo’s and Metal Work’s, which is precisely what the standard exists to guarantee. A few practical notes:
- Port thread is G (BSPP). If your machine was plumbed in NPT, that is a separate check. A G fitting will not seal properly in an NPT port.
- Rod thread and rod diameter follow the standard too, so a rod-end clevis or fork from the old cylinder normally threads straight onto the replacement.
- Stroke is a design choice, not a standard value. Order the same stroke as the old unit, or a longer one only if the envelope and rod guidance allow it. Metal Work configures series 3 strokes up to 2,800 mm, which shows how far these cylinders can be stretched when a machine needs it.
- Cushioning is adjustable at both ends on the standard versions of both brands, but the needles are set at the factory for each unit. After any swap, close the cushion screws and open them gradually, or the first cycle can slam the end cap.
Where the standard runs out
ISO 15552 does not standardise everything, and the gaps are where cross-brand swaps fail if nobody looks:
- Sensor slots. The profile groove that carries proximity switches is not part of the ISO dimension set. Festo sensors are shaped for Festo slots, and Metal Work sensors for Metal Work slots. If your machine uses Festo switches on the old cylinder, plan to refit sensors rather than assume the same switch clicks into the new groove. Universal T-slot switches fit only when both profiles match the 8 mm T-slot shape.
- Special options. A Festo DNC fitted with end-position locking, a through piston rod, or a variant for a food or low-temperature environment only interchanges with a Metal Work unit that offers the same option. Metal Work’s range does include rod-lock and through-rod versions of its ISO cylinders, plus ATEX-certified variants, so most options exist, but each one has to be selected, never assumed.
- Position feedback. This is where Metal Work’s ILT series is genuinely different. ILT cylinders are ISO 15552 units with a resistive linear transducer inside a hollow piston rod, giving an analog position signal (0 to 10 V DC) through an M12 connector, in bores 50 to 125. If a machine currently uses an external linear encoder on a Festo cylinder, an ILT unit can simplify the build, but the wiring and control input must be matched to the analog signal.
- Seals and approvals. Operating temperature, seal material and declarations all differ by configuration. Check them against the machine environment instead of carrying them over from the old part number.
Compact and mini cylinders
The same logic applies one step down. Festo ADN is its compact ISO 21287 family, and Metal Work CMPC (bores 12 to 100) and LINER (bores 20 to 100) cover the same class. Mounting holes and rod threads agree per bore within ISO 21287, so a like-for-like swap works when stroke and the magnetic version match. Compact cylinders trade stroke length and side-load capacity for a shorter body, so resist the temptation to substitute a standard profile cylinder into a space designed for a compact one.
Round mini cylinders are the third class. ISO 6432 covers small bores, roughly 8 to 25 mm, and both makers build round cylinders to it. Above that range, round-body cylinders from either brand no longer follow ISO 6432, and the dimensions must be compared from the datasheet rather than assumed from the series name.
What can be swapped directly
The honest summary in one table:
| Situation | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Festo DNC or DSBC to Metal Work ISO 15552, same bore, stroke, mounting, magnet | Direct fit. Refit sensors to suit the new groove |
| Metal Work ISO 15552 to Festo DNC or DSBC, same parameters | Direct fit under the same conditions |
| Festo ADN to Metal Work CMPC / LINER (ISO 21287) | Direct fit when bore, stroke and mounting match |
| Festo DSNU to Metal Work ISO 6432 mini | Fits in the small-bore ISO range; dimension check above it |
| Guided, rodless or special-option units between brands | Not a drop-in. Compare design and options case by case |
| Cylinders with position-feedback ILT | Interchangeable footprint, but the wiring and signal must be engineered |
Which one should you pick
We supply both brands as original manufacturers, so there is no reason for us to push one. The choice follows the machine, not the other way round.
Pick the Metal Work alternative when the Festo cylinder follows a standard footprint and the swap saves you money, lead time or stock problems, or when the environment suits a Metal Work version, such as BTY for battery production or MCR and HCR for humid or corrosive lines. If the machine needs position feedback without external sensors, the ILT series is a genuine technical upgrade worth quoting.
Stay with Festo when the machine documentation, customer specification or safety file names the Festo part, when a Festo special option is in use and no direct Metal Work equivalent exists, or when your plant standardises spares and sensors on Festo and the volume does not justify a second brand.
Whichever way you go, the specification is the same list: ISO standard, bore, stroke, mounting style, magnetic piston yes or no, and options. Send that list together with the old part number or a photo of the nameplate, and we confirm the match, the sensor question and the lead time in one pass.
- Browse the brand directory for the Metal Work and Festo ranges we carry.
- See the pneumatic and valve product range across all brands.
- Read more articles and comparison guides.
- Or send the cylinder specification straight to the inquiry form.
Every cylinder we supply is original and new, bought through the manufacturer or established channels, with procurement documentation for verification on arrival.