Linear actuators are devices that produce mechanical linear motion by converting various forms of energy into mechanical energy. Typically part of motion control systems in automated assembly processes, linear actuators are most often computer-controlled, although simple actuators may be powered mechanically by hand.
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Del-Tron Precision, Inc.Bethel, CT 800-245-5013 Del-Tron Precision, Inc. was founded in order to serve the needs of automated equipment manufacturers for innovative, high quality and reasonably priced anti-friction linear bearings and associated products such as linear actuators. Del-Tron has maintained the same high level of service by continually developing new products that deliver important advantages to its customers.
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions, Inc.Waterbury, CT 800-243-2715 80 years of experience are the result of combining two reputable companies, Haydon and Kerk, into one stellar manufacturer and distributor now called Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions, Inc. Producing an innovative line of quality automated mechanisms such as linear actuators, our qualified team can produce standard and custom design and engineer products. Call us today!
TolomaticHamel, MN 800-328-2174 Tolomatic is a 50-year-old, very dependable company, offering solutions for all types of motion control applications. We offer built-to-order, built-to-last actuators, including linear actuators and a variety of other models. If you are looking for linear motion solutions, get with Tolomatic. We guarantee our products will be shipped to your door within 5 days or less.
Parker Hannifin - Electromechanical DivisionRohnert Park, CA 800-272-7537 Parker Hannifin should be the best fit for your motion control needs because of their full range of precision linear & rotary positioners in standard & custom designs, including linear actuators. Parker Linear Actuators are used in a wide range of applications, including factory automation, packaging, transportation, & energy & life sciences, to name just a few.
IAI America, Inc.Torrance, CA 800-736-1712 Founded in Japan in 1976 with American headquarters established in 1989, IAI designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of motion control systems. As the established world leader in linear actuators, we are a leading source of advanced plug & play automation throughout North America and the world. Our corporate philosophy of "quality & innovation" motivates us to meet the highest standards.
Beaver Aerospace & Defense, Inc.Livonia, MI 734-853-5003 Beaver Aerospace & Defense is a global leader in the design and manufacture of unique and broad-range actuation solutions for the commercial and military aerospace and defense industries. We offer the most advanced actuators, including linear actuators and a multitude of other models, custom designed to fit virtually any application with superior performance, quality and precision.
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E·DRIVE® ACTUATORSWest Hartford, CT 800-878-1157 Since 1980, E•Drive® Actuators has been producing linear motion mechanisms such as linear actuators and related products. Over the years our business has grown based on our philosophy of design flexibility and rapid response to our customers` needs. Rugged steel construction, flexible designs & five-year warranties set us apart from all other manufacturers. Call us today!
Warner LinearBelvidere, IL 800-825-6544 Warner Linear offers a full line of standard linear actuators and related products, each specifically designed to meet the needs of light-duty, general-duty or rugged-duty applications. All are engineered for maintenance-free, long-life service, providing maximum value for our customers. Our actuators are engineered and produced using quality components from ISO registered key suppliers.
Burr Engineering & Development CompanyBattle Creek, MI 800-537-9940 Burr Engineering is a designer and actuators manufacturer for a range of applications including off-road equipment, platform lifts and air flow control equipment. With our wide range of linear actuators and related products, you can choose from our large selection of stock actuators or order units custom built to your specifications at competitive prices, even in small quantities.
Venture Mfg. Co.Dayton, OH 866-365-1957 Serving industries such as solar, housing and medical since 1971, Venture Mfg. is an experienced manufacturer of superior quality linear actuators and related products. With full CAD and engineering design capabilities, Venture is an efficient and cost-effective source for all of your precision linear motion needs. We provide customized solutions for specialized applications.
Concise Motion Systems, Inc.Albuquerque, NM 800-956-6728 Concise Motion Systems, Inc. specializes in innovative compact motion solutions. We offer a unique line of linear actuators and related products featuring space-saving design and a broad range of options, including built-in limit switches and feedback devices. Product lines include Miniline®, compact stainless steel actuators, and LinearChain, a long-stroke actuator that folds for storage.
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The various forms of energy which power linear actuators include hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, electro-mechanical and piezoelectric. Linear actuators often act as servomechanisms to provide and transmit a precise amount of energy to work another mechanism or equipment part, or the actuator may do the actual work itself. Linear actuators such as 12 volt linear actuators and other electric linear actuators assist in robotic processes in a wide range of industries, including automotive, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, food, packaging and electronics. Different types of processes use various actuator designs, including ball screw actuators, DC actuators, servo actuators, valve actuators, electric actuators (or electric cylinders), rotary actuators and miniature linear actuators. Piezoelectric and telescopic actuators are employed for specialty applications, with piezoelectric actuators supplying extremely small, precision movement, and telescopic, or spindle actuators providing vertical mechanical motion. Nearly all factory automation processes use linear actuators to push, lift, rotate or transport products or equipment during various manufacturing processes. Some linear actuators and units operate in vacuum, radiation, cryogenic, corrosive and underwater environments.
Actuators are not only powered by a variety of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic designs, but they also create motion based on several different principles. Many linear actuators use a ballscrew design consisting of a screw rod which rotates in and out of a housing, providing linear motion. Ball screw actuators, also called drive screws, are rotated using either a synchronous timing belt drive, worm gear drive or direct drive. The turning of the screw pushes a drive nut along the screw, which in turn pushes the rod out. Rotating the screw in the opposite direction retracts the rod. A cover tube protects the screw nut from environmental elements and contamination. Radial thrust bearings permit the screw to rotate freely under loaded conditions. Rotary actuators are not linear at all, although, like rotary tables, they serve purposes similar to those of linear actuators in assembly automation applications by providing radial motion. Most miniature linear actuators are electric, although some may use piezoelectric power for highly precise, short movement, while others are pneumatic actuators. Telescopic actuators utilize a fairly new "spindle" technology to provide linear motion; because they are telescopic, the length of the actuator can fit inside a fairly small housing, making telescopic actuators highly space-efficient.
When choosing from linear actuator manufacturers, several factors are important for the success of the actuator within its application, including the speed, stroke length and load rating of the linear actuators. The duty cycle accuracy and programmability requirements must also be measured, as well as desired lifetime of the linear actuator system, particular safety requirements, environmental concerns and space constraints. If the linear actuator system is not battery-run, the size and kind of motor (AC, DC or special) are important considerations. Different available electric motors, which include stepper, brushed DC or brushless servomotors, give different levels of torque and accuracy. Rotary actuators and linear actuators may be powered electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically. Electric linear actuators are typically powered by DC or stepping motors. Hydraulic actuators have brute strength, essentially no compressibility and excellent power-to-weight ratio. However, they tend to leak, have lower reliability, are higher maintenance, expensive and loud, use flammable fluids and generate heat. Even though pneumatic actuators are inexpensive, have rapid response and are simple and easy to control, they are also loud, and their position is difficult to control.
Electromechanical actuators are quickly replacing pneumatic actuators because they save money by reducing unnecessary energy consumption within plants, have vastly improved control and flexibility, are especially beneficial for multi-positional tasks and provide no health and environmental issues due to high noise levels. However, the tendency of these electrical linear actuators to spark limits their use in hazardous environments, and they have lower power and torque-to-weight ratios. Research has been moving forward on piezoelectric linear actuators and other forms of technology, which use short high voltage bursts to create small-scale movement, but this has been primarily focused on micro-actuators and micro-manipulation. Piezoelectric actuators, in particular, achieve linear motion as a result of electricity that is produced from the mechanical pressure that is exerted on certain crystals, typically either quartz or Rochelle salt.
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Image Provided by Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions, Inc.
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Linear Actuator Types
Linear Actuator Terms
Accuracy - The difference from the precise value of
the intended velocity or position of electric
linear actuators.
ACME Screw - A threaded screw utilizing sliding friction surfaces between
the nut and the screw. These screws are used in linear actuators and are self-locking
and is about 30-40% efficient.
Back Drive - Torque produced by the applied load on a drive resulting
in the reversal of rotation of the nut in many linear actuators.
Backlash - The space between the interactive elements in a drive train
or leadscrew assembly that creates a mechanical "deadband" when shifting directions.
- A screw that operates
on ball bearings. Ball bearing screws (or ball
screws) have a low starting torque, are approximately 90% efficient and can
be back driven.
Bi-directional Repeatability - The divergence in the ending position attained
by moving away and then returning to a regular point from both plus and minus
directions of linear actuators. The error or non-repeatability factor is determined
from the sum of the hysteresis, the backlash of linear actuators system resolution.
Cantilevered Load - Loads or forces that are not symmetrically placed
on the center of the positioner table in rotary
actuators.
Compression Load - A load that leads toward compressing the positioner in
electric linear actuators.
Continuous Motor Torque - The torque created by the linear actuators motor
at rated constant current.
Cycle - A complete positioner extension and retraction returned to the
beginning point in rotary
actuators.
Duty Cycle - The amount of time a positioner can run and how much time
it needs to cool. It is on time to cooling time, meaning a duty cycle of 25%
is a cycle in which a positioner of electric
linear actuators operates continually for ten seconds and then must rest
for thirty seconds.
Dynamic Load Rating - Linear actuators design constant used in calculating
the estimated travel life of the roller screw; the dynamic men load is the load
at which this linear actuators device will perform one million revolutions.
- The ratio of input power to
output power.
Error - The difference between the actual and the intended condition of
linear actuators. Error typically refers to the position but could refer to velocity
of many linear actuators.
Extension Rate - The speed at which the positioner extends or retracts
in rotary linear actuators. Extension rate differs with the load on DC positioners
but differs very little on AC positioners or linear actuators step-motor positioners.
Force Rating - The linear force created by linear actuators at constant
motor torque.
Hardwired Signals - Electrical signals traveling between two control devices
of linear actuators that are connected with dedicated conductors.
Holding Brake - A brake that works against backdriving to hold the positioner in place under compression loads or tension of rotary actuators.
Hysteresis - The opposing force accumulated in an elastic material or
mechanism after the outside forces acting on it have been changed (e.g. the mechanical
wind-up in the lead-screw assembly of linear actuators).
- Moving or positioning a load in incremental
steps.
- The distance the lead screw nut travels
for every rotation of the lead screw.
Limit Switch - Switches found in linear actuators that limit the travel
or motion of rotary actuators in
a specific direction.
Linear Movement - Movement in a straight line as seen by the movement
of linear actuators.
Linear Position Accuracy - The error between the intended shift and real
position attained by a linear positioning component or stage system. The linear
accuracy of components and stage systems, which includes motor accuracy, leadscrew
accuracy, stage accuracy (pitch and yaw) and thermal expansion, varies with complexity
and number of components in linear actuators.
Linear Rate - Rate of movement of linear actuators components.
Load - The amount of force axially put on the positioner in rotary
actuators.
Max Velocity - The linear velocity that linear
actuators will attain at a given motor rpm in electric
actuators.
Maximum Static Load - The mechanical load limit of linear actuators
if recirculated oil or other cooling method is used to allow higher than rated
torque from the motor.
Microstepping - The technique of electronically subdividing every complete
step of a stepping motor.
Multiplex System - An electric actuator system that utilizes two lead-screws
in order to actuate several three-piece pump modules, the combination of which
drives the pistons in a linear motion to create displacement. Each electric
actuator system uses a pneumatic rotary actuator to drive its main function.
Optical Encoder - Linear actuators or rotary
actuators element that has alternating opaque and clear spaces. Detectors
calculate the light and dark changes, and the position is determined by counting
the amount of changes.
Pneumatic - Pneumatic actuators are operated or actuated by compressed
air or other gases.
Resolution - The lowest exact positioning movement attainable from a
system.
Stroke Length - The complete movement of rotary
actuators positioning table from complete retraction to full extension.
Thrust - The complete force necessary to move loads of linear actuators,
taking into account friction, acceleration and gravity.
Unidirectional Repeatability - The capability of electric
linear actuators systems to return to an intended position, nearing that
position from a plus and minus direction.