An electric actuator is a mechanism your future project needs run well. No matter what industry you make your contribution to, the choice of the right high-quality electric actuator needs to be made. Only the detailed research and understanding of the electric actuator functionality and variations will help you make a profitable decision.
Types of Actuators
The variety of motion actuators is pretty wide. Each type caters to specific needs and each different type is actively used in different industries. For a better understanding of the process, let’s take a look at the classification of linear actuators.
- Mechanical Systems
It is the simplest and the most widespread type of actuators. The displacement is caused by a rotary motion of screws, gears or similar.
- Hydraulic Systems
As it becomes clear from the title, hydraulic actuators work on liquid and demonstrate Pascal’s law in a perfect way. The unbalanced pressure is the reason that causes the motion.
- Pneumatic Systems
Those things have a lot in common with the above-mentioned mechanism. Only instead of liquid, they use the compressed gas.
- Piezoelectric Systems
The application of voltage causes the piezoelectric materials enlargement. The successful functioning of such actuators is based on this physical phenomenon.
- Electro-mechanical actuators
The electric motor generates rotary motion. It is converted to mechanical motion in a usual way.
Linear actuators are the necessary devices for any project you may be thinking about. Nevertheless, these solutions are not widespread. You can take a look at a catalogue of electric actuators at the Actuator Zone website https://www.actuatorzone.com/actuators.
And before you take first steps towards your actuator-based project implementation, consider the important things you cannot go on without.
Electric Actuators: Main Parameters and the Questions to Answer at the Very Beginning
Electric actuators find their application in automation of various processes. For example, a 12 volt linear actuator is irreplaceable for home automation projects. Some other components are useful for medical technologies, machine work, industrial purposes, aerospace, defense industry, etc. The list can go on for hours, but we are here to discuss the most important things you need to know about when selecting the electric linear actuator.
Before switching to the classification, keep in mind that there are several parameters the actuators are described by:
- Payload;
- Stroke;
- Speed;
- Accuracy.
Before you make an important choice, answer the questions that would let you understand clearly what type of an electric actuator you need:
- How strong should your mechanism be?
If you are planning to implement the significant idea, you already know for sure what weight needs to be moved. This is the main purpose of the actuator: it needs to lift or replace objects of defined weight. By answering this question, you get the information about the force required. For example, a mini mechanism may have a force capacity of 10-20 lbs, while the industrial tool’s characteristics are around 2000 lbs.
- What distance needs to be passed?
As it was mentioned above, the actuator moves the defined weight to a defined point. The distance between the starting and finishing points is called stroke length. The ranks of actuators stroke length vary, so this is another factor to consider before making a choice.
is another point that considerably impacts your choice. Measured in distance per second, the speed of the actuator represents its performance in general. And as a rule, the heavier is load the slower is the move.
- What type of the actuator would cater to your needs?
According to the technical features you have defined for yourself, you are now able to choose the electric actuator that would extend your mechanism capabilities and enhance your project.
Last but not least, pay attention to details that are crucial.
- Buy From a Trusted Stores Only
Even if the store presents brilliant product wrapped in a shining package, rely on feedback and read carefully. Usually, all reliable services can provide you with the former customers’ reviews. And those are the best sources of trusted information about the chosen store.
- Compare Prices & Choose the Best Option
As the situation on the market shows, hydraulic actuators are the most expensive ones. Analyze your requirements carefully and make sure that those expensive options meet your needs.
The Bottom Line
How to choose linear actuator? Long story short, you just have to be acquainted with the core information about the actuators. On the other hand, you should know for sure what you expect from your project. Careful analysis of the existing data compared to your requirements will lead you towards making the right decision.
