Tag Archives: linear actuators

Valve Actuators, Old and New

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The term “valve actuator” is likely to evoke images of automotive components for many people with backgrounds in industry, specifically those who have had experience in the automotive industry as professionals or as hobbyists. However, it may surprise some of those people to hear that actuators are used in the control of valves outside of the context of the automotive world. In these other contexts, valve actuators might not used to the same extent as they are to close choke Continue reading →

Linear Actuators – Keeping Industry in Line

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Haydon Kerk Stepper Linear ActuatorsLinear actuators image courtesy of Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions.

It’s easy to conceptualize a linear actuator being put to use in an automotive, automation or assembly application. Automotive linear actuators are found in car jacks and retractable truck bed covers. Other actuator varieties are used to create and control the motion of robotic assembly equipment. Still others are used to push open automatic doors. These applications seem like Continue reading →

Ball Screw Actuators – #1 in Motion Control

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Venture Manufacturing Co. Ball Screw ActuatorBall screw actuator image courtesy of Venture Mfg. Co.

There’s a reason why ball screw actuators are among the most popular linear actuator varieties. This reason accounts for why they can be found in RVs, satellites, gearboxes, manufactured housing, solar paneling, motors and so many other applications. The reason? Ball screw actuators are Continue reading →

Medicine and Micro Linear Actuators

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Deltron MicroactuatorMicro linear actuator image courtesy of Del-Tron Precision, Inc.

As trends in medicine point more and more toward performance of surgical procedures with robotic equipment, demand increases for microactuators and the other movement control utilities that actuate robotic surgical tools. Micro linear actuators can be found in much of the equipment used in the health care industry to improve people’s health and even save lives. In addition to their widespread use in robotic surgical equipment, microactuators are also put to use in Continue reading →

Electric Linear Actuators – Pushing the Limits of Industry

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Warner Electric Linear ActuatorsElectric linear actuators image courtesy of Warner Linear.

Because a linear actuator is any device that pushes something else in a straight line, a lot of different kinds of things fall under that distinction. If, for example, I were to poke the wooden swan statuette on my desk with my index finger, I could call my finger a linear actuator (assuming I pushed the swan in a perfectly straight line). However, when industry professionals talk about linear actuators, they are not talking about my finger, their fingers or anyone else’s fingers. Usually, when someone chooses a linear actuator to perform a task for them, they choose it because Continue reading →

Pneumatic Linear Actuators – Harnessing the Power of Air

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Air doesn’t seem too threatening most of the time. In fact, it’s hardly even interesting most of the time. We ignore it unless it’s too cold, too thin or if it smells strange. Otherwise, we look right through it, like it’s not even there, almost all of the time. But leave it to industry to find a way to make air one of the most Continue reading →

Miniature Linear Actuators: Everywhere in Industry

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Parker Miniature Linear ActuatorMiniature linear actuator image courtesy of Parker Hannifin – Electromechanical Division.

Ask an industry insider where miniature actuators can be found at work, and they will tell you, “Everywhere.” The number of different industrial contexts in which miniature actuators are used, particularly in high-tech contexts, is staggering. As technology develops and produces smaller, more advanced products, industry professionals require access to Continue reading →

Small Linear Actuators: Big Jobs

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If you’re fortunate enough to own a car with retractable headlights, you may be familiar with the characteristic “VZZZ” sound they make during operation. But what you may not know is that the sound is being made by at least one small linear actuator. While you’re blissfully unaware, enjoying your car’s other features, you’re probably not far from Continue reading →

Automotive Linear Actuators’ 15 Seconds

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Burr Linear ActuatorLinear actuator image courtesy of Burr Engineering.

The world of automotive linear actuators is populated both by highly visible and nearly invisible actuator varieties. Some are more complex than others, and some are more expensive than others. But in the cars in which they are equipped, each actuator contributes to Continue reading →

Putting 12 Volt Linear Actuators into Perspective

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12 volt linear actuators are quite remarkable devices. Some models are capable of moving loads as heavy as 200 lbs while drawing less than five amps. In some cases, these comparatively small actuators can be shorter than the length of an adult’s forearm. In addition to these qualities, what really makes 12 volt linear actuators remarkable is their versatility. Even people with backgrounds in mechanical engineering could be surprised by the number of different contexts in which linear motion is required, and 12 volt linear actuators can be applied in a large percentage of those contexts.

First, consider 12 volt linear actuators’ performance. To put things into perspective, think about a couple of the domestic utilities Continue reading →