The six-axis parallel-kinematics systems known as hexapods excel in motion simulation and testing of mechanical and drive systems, multi-dimensional position sensors, and (the focus of this article) image-stabilization designs for cameras and video equipment. By Doris Knauer • Project Manager — Industrial Automation | Physik Instrumente (PI) Modern camera systems are capable of astounding feats, […]
Linear Actuators Archive
Get the latest product news, technical info, and FAQs about linear actuators.
Tubular linear motors from ANCA Motion offer drop-in replacement for ball screw systems
Like other tubular linear motors, ANCA Motion’s LinX M-Series is designed to be close in form to ball screw systems, offering easy substitution for those who want to make the change. Both cylindrical linear motors and flatbed linear motors have superior accuracy and repeatability compared to ball-screw options. A tubular linear motor is also a […]
Low-cost, high-performance alternative to rod actuators, pneumatic cylinders
Bell-Everman’s new ServoBelt RA is a high-performance, drop-in replacement actuator designed for applications that have traditionally used rod actuators, pneumatic cylinders or even linear motors. Unlike traditional rod actuators, ServoBelt RA is fully guided along the entirety of its stroke, making it more resistant to off-axis loads and more stable in on-axis moves. With linear […]
ElectroCraft expands AxialPower family of linear actuators with the APES 17
ElectroCraft has recently expanded the AxialPower enhanced series of linear actuators to include a new high-performance 42mm (NEMA 17) frame size. This new linear actuator is highly configurable and: • Is available with a variety of imperial or metric leadscrew options • Achieves resolutions of 0.006 mm to 0.050 mm per step • Delivers output […]
LinX M-Series electric actuators from ANCA Motion offer direct replacement of pneumatic cylinders
Pneumatics (and compressed air) are indispensable in many industrial applications. They’re cost-effective and easy-to-understand technologies that are rugged enough to run in even very challenging environments. The problem is that some facilities can spend up to 30% of their electricity bill on generating compressed air. Because pneumatic actuators for linear motion (which have been an […]
THK adds high-speed SDA-V/SDAN-V caged ball screws to linear motion offerings
THK’s new Type SDA-V/SDAN-V caged ball screw is engineered to enable the development of high-speed machine designs. Featuring newly developed circulation components, the Type SDA-V/SDAN-V picks up balls in the tangential direction and achieves a maximum rotational speed of 5,000 rpm — for a maximum DN value of 160,000. Torque remains stable even during long […]
Electromechanical linear actuators feature embedded CAN bus support, PLC capability
Thomson Industries, Inc. has unveiled their new Electrak MD, a more compact electromechanical actuator that retains all of the intelligence built into its larger counterparts. Mobile off-highway, material handling and factory automation applications can benefit from the compact actuator with up to two kilonewtons (kN) of force, advanced onboard electronics and J1939 CAN Bus support. […]
Magnetically preloaded single-axis linear stepper motors from H2W
H2W Technologies’ single axis linear stepper motors are suitable for high-speed open-loop positioning applications. They can perform at speeds of up to 80 in./sec [2 m/sec] and strokes of up to 68 in. [1.7 m]. Linear stepper motors are capable of precise position, velocity, and acceleration control when coupled with a micro-stepping drive and indexer. […]
How to specify pulleys for synchronous belt drives
When designing a belt drive system, the first step is to choose the most suitable belt for the application. But the pulleys also play an important role in the performance of the belt — especially in synchronous belt drive systems, where proper meshing of the belt teeth with the pulley grooves can affect everything from […]
Linear motion in medical applications: Piezo actuators for non-contact dispensing
In a recent article, we looked at how piezo motors are used in liquid handling robots for contact-based dispensing (also referred to as pipetting) of microliter and nanoliter volumes. But when the required dispense volumes fall in the single-digit nanoliter or picoliter range, the process often requires a non-contact dispensing method to ensure accuracy and […]
