From industrial and materials handling systems to agricultural machinery and military/naval operations, many different industries and applications rely on the power of linear actuators. Since they offer unparalleled mechanical performance in moving loads in a straight line, linear actuators are literally driving these industries forward. As these applications evolve and get more advancement, so must the linear...
One of the main considerations when selecting an actuator for your linear motion system is cost. How deeply do you examine the associated costs, though? Should one only concern themselves with the initial price of the unit? The initial cost is important, but only one aspect of the total cost of ownership. The Total Cost of Ownership is the accumulated expected costs associated with the actuator over its service...
When it comes to linear motion engineering (or any technical field, for that matter), nothing can slow down or derail a project more than misunderstanding the parameters or data relevant to the design. While there are some general technical terms we all know, there are others that some may have not encountered or needed to use until selecting an electromechanical actuator or designing a linear motion system. Below...
In today’s manufacturing and production world, there are two key factors that lead to your plant’s success: production and efficiency. The linear motion systems you implement will most likely be aimed to increase both of these. The accuracy and repeatability of the actuator you use are two of the most important measures. A previous blog post, Understanding the Factors that Determine Accuracy and Repeatability in...
Companies in the food & beverage industry that employ ram-style electromechanical actuators (EMAs) in their processing and packaging systems are held to different standards when it comes to the construction materials and protection levels of their EMAs. The Food & Drug Administration requires all equipment used in these environments to be designed to keep any possible contaminants from contacting the products. In...
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin
Ensuring your electromechanical actuators (EMAs) provide a long service life starts with specifying thoughtfully designed products constructed of quality materials. But that’s far from the whole story. Although Ben Franklin was writing about the importance of fire safety back in 1735, his words continue to remind us that no one―in any...
If you’re one of the growing number of manufacturers looking for the best way to automate your production operations, one of your first decisions is the type of linear actuator to incorporate into your system. Although hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders are capable of producing linear motion, they’re not always the best choice for automation applications. Electromechanical actuators (EMAs) have become increasingly...
For almost any large project, typically the hardest part is getting started—with so many decisions to make and alternatives to consider, the process can quickly become daunting. For industrial automation engineers, this can be especially true in choosing a linear actuator. Linear actuators are available in a wide range of types, sizes, capabilities, and protection levels. Sorting through these available options to...
An effective actuator is one that fits and performs precisely in a given application. In this context, precision refers to how well the actuator achieves the force and speed the application requires and to the precision of the actuator’s manufacturing. In other words, a precise actuator functions and fits as intended within the system for which it is designed.
In electromechanical linear motion systems, accuracy and repeatability are key to measuring the performance of an actuator. These two factors define the proper production techniques that are key for the standardization and consistency required when automating manufacturing processes.
