If there is one overarching trend for electric actuators, it has to be integration. That is, integrating more components such as feedback devices, controllers and drives, and functions into the actuator itself. Designers are looking for reliable actuators that can be quickly and easily installed, powered up and operational. Here’s what some top actuator manufacturers told […]
Actuators
Genesis Robotics premieres LiveDrive actuator at Hannover Messe 2017
Canadian manufacturer Genesis Robotics unveiled LiveDrive — the first highly-controllable direct-drive robotic actuator that is three times faster and 100 times more precise than conventional actuators — at Hannover Messe 2017 in Germany on April 24th. Robotic actuators are the physical force behind robots, and make up approximately 30 percent of the cost. For more than 50 years […]
FAQ: What are low voltage piezo actuators, and where are they used?
When voltage is applied to a piezo ceramic material, the material experiences a displacement (expansion or contraction) per the inverse piezoelectric effect. The amount of displacement that results from the applied voltage depends on thickness of material. Thus, for a given displacement, a thinner material requires a smaller voltage than a thicker material. Low voltage […]
FAQ: How do I calculate the inertia of a servo-driven system?
Inertia, or more specifically, inertia ratio, is one of the most important factors in sizing a servo system. Inertia is defined an object’s resistance to change in velocity, and in servo-driven systems, it can be used as a measure of how well the motor is able to control the acceleration and deceleration of the load. […]
Custom voice-coil actuator heads to asteroid Bennu
BEI Kimco, a brand of Sensata Technologies, is a part of NASA’s first asteroid sampling mission that could revolutionize understanding of the early solar system. BEI Kimco designed a customized moving magnet voice coil actuator (VCA) to meet the harsh requirements for a spectrometer moving mirror application on the Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith […]
FAQ: What are other options for nanopositioning besides piezo actuators?
Nanopositioning—positioning on the scale of one-billionth of a meter—is a common requirement in semiconductor and medical applications, such as metrology, scanning, dispensing, and pumping. But consistently achieving nanometer-level resolution is beyond the scope of most devices that use mechanical rolling or recirculating elements. Case in point: the most common solution for nanopositioning applications is the piezo motor […]
New actuator updates from linearmotiontips.com
If you’re looking for information on electric actuators, then check out the latest from motioncontroltips.com Design World sister site linearmotiontips.com. This website details the specification and use of various linear-motion guides and drives — including mechanical rotary-to-linear converters such as lead screws and ballscrews — as well as actuators and even fully integrated stages, gantries, and Cartesian robots. The following is […]
Compact DriveLine actuators for positioning applications
DriveLine actuators from SIKO GmbH are particularly well suited to optimizing processing and setup times thanks to their special power and control electronics, absolute sensor and integrated position controller. The new AG26 actuator is the same as the AG06 as far as electric motor and gearing are concerned. In addition to the data interfaces that […]
Build prototypes fast with Voice Coil Actuator (VCA) Developer’s Kit
BEI Kimco has recently improved its Voice Coil Actuator (VCA) Developer’s Kit to include three new actuator sizes with greater force and stroke capabilities to provide a broader diversity in off-the-shelf selection (custom kits can also be ordered). The new additions round out the Kit selection to a total of six actuators with force performances now ranging […]
Resistant ECO2 air actuators open up new applications
ContiTech has extended its air actuator product range: The company is the first manufacturer in the world to offer air actuators made of an ECO compound with improved resistance to chemicals and environmental influences. The new ECO2 air actuators can now also be used in applications in which they are exposed to lubricating oils, corrosive […]