To simplify assemblies and save space, the number of OEMs looking for a way to insert their equipment directly through a Voice Coil Actuator (VCA) is on the rise for medical, scientific, and analytical laboratory instruments. In response to this increasing demand, BEI Kimco has introduced a family of linear unhoused VCAs with aperture sizes […]
Linear Actuators Archive
Get the latest product news, technical info, and FAQs about linear actuators.
150-mm precision X-Y motion platform from Griffin Motion
Griffin Motion’s new CXY-BS Series 150-mm Precision XY Motion Platform is fully customizable, ships quickly and is ideal for use in microscopy, inspection, wafer processing, microtiter plate processing, laser marking, and optical positioning applications. This compact, low-profile, ball-screw-drive stage exhibits high levels of orthogonality (10 arc-sec) and parallelism, enabling 150 mm of precise XY travel with 10 µm […]
New low-profile Javelin series linear motors from Celera Motion
Designed for easy integration into OEM assemblies, the Applimotion Javelin Series Linear Motors are offered in a wide range of low-profile form factors. Frameless kit construction enables easy integration into machinery, linear stages and actuators. Built using state-of-the art magnetic designs, the Javelin Series delivers high acceleration and high speeds in compact, lightweight form factors. […]
Level winding drive for spacing rows — with no programming
Amacoil Inc. now offers an option on Uhing rolling ring level winding drives which enables users to spool cable, and other materials, with specific spacing between rows. The standard drive creates a smooth, even, level wind with adjacent rows of material. The option – a set screw inserted into one or both ends of the […]
How to get predictable and reliable linear motion
by Bob Ward, Product Manager, Rollon Corp. Here are some tips on how to correctly specify and size a linear-motor-driven actuator using the mnemonic ACTUATOR—short for accuracy, capacity, travel length, usage, ambient environment, timing, orientation and rates—to remember all the key parameters Choosing the right actuator for a given application may seem like an easy […]
Stepper Motor Basics
A large percentage of electromechanical linear motion applications—including ball and lead screw drives, rack and pinion drives, and linear actuators—use one of two motor technologies: servo or stepper. A servo motor is a closed-loop device, meaning it incorporates an encoder that monitors the actual motor position and feeds this information back to the drive, which […]
The top 10 Linear Motion Tips articles of 2015
With the range of technologies, designs, and options available for linear motion components, ploughing through the alternatives and making the best decision takes more time and resources than many designers and engineers are able to expend on any individual component. Looking back at the top 10 most-read Linear Motion Tips articles of 2015 confirms this situation. From primers on […]
What are piezo actuators?
Piezo materials are a special type of ceramic that expands or contracts when an electrical charge is applied, generating motion and force. (Conversely, piezo materials will also generate energy when a mechanical stress is applied.) Piezo actuators harness this motion to provide very short strokes with high frequency and fast response times. They also generate high […]
Tips for selecting pre-engineered Cartesian robots
Cartesian robots operate in two or three axes along the Cartesian coordinate system of X, Y, and Z. While SCARA and 6-axis robots are more widely recognized, Cartesian systems can be found in nearly every industrial application imaginable, from semiconductor manufacturing to woodworking equipment. And it’s no surprise that Cartesians are so widely deployed. They’re […]
New miniature stepper motor linear actuators from Haydon Kerk
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions has expanded its 15000 Series linear actuators with the addition of the smallest linear actuator in Haydon Kerk’s extensive stepper motor line. The new linear actuators occupy a minimal 0.6 in. (15 mm) diameter space and incorporate some of the most advanced motion control technology available today. Included in that small […]