The first thing to know is that a linear actuator does exactly what its name implies: it actuates (or 'moves') in a linear (or 'straight') fashion. There are many different ways that a motor can do this, and their motion is commonly achieved with a rod extending and retracting, or a slider that moves on a track. The linear motion is created by using a Lead-screw. The screw turns either clockwise or counter-clockwise and this causes the shaft, which is basically a nut on the screw to move up and down the screw as the screw turns. This is what converts rotary motion from the electric motor to Linear motion.
The motors used are either AC or DC motors, most however run on 12v dc. To make a Linear Actuator go the opposite direction you simple reverse the wires from the Actuator (reverse polarity) from the battery or power supply. This is typically done through a switch that automatically reverses the polarity to the motor for you. Different speeds and forces are achieved by using different gear ratio's inside the Linear Actuator gearbox system. Please remember in a Linear Actuator, force and speed trade off against each other. That means if you want high force you have to settle for a lower speed than if you require lower force. This is because the only constant in a Linear Actuator is the Motor speed and force for a given input voltage.
To make the shaft stop when it gets to the end of the stroke, our products have built-in limit switches or micro switches as they are sometimes known. These limit switches are inside the main shaft and are nothing more than a small switch that is triggered by the nut inside that slides up and down the screw. There is one for the top extended position and one for the lower retracted position. For more information on this, check out our Blogs page.
A Linear Actuator is a device that requires an energy source input and an external signal input. These inputs create an output usually in the form of motion that can be either rotary or linear. An Electric Linear Actuator is a device that converts the rotational motion of an AC or DC motor into linear motion. It can provide both push and pull movements. This movement makes it possible to lift, drop, slide, adjust, tilt, push, or pull objects with the simple push of a button. Today there are hundreds of millions of Actuators used in the world to perform many different tasks. An Electric Linear Actuator consists of a DC or AC motor, a series of gears, and a lead screw with a driving nut that pushes the main rod shaft in and out. FIRGELLI sells 12v Linear Actuators and 24v Linear Actuators.
You have a few options for selecting the ideal Linear Actuator for your application. You can call us to get some help or you can use our Actuator calculator, or you can browse through our many Actuator products pages to get a feel for all the different types we have available to you. Typically when choosing the ideal Actuator you start off with the force. This is the force you think you need to lift or move the object you require moving. As a rule of thumb, we always suggest to people buy the actuator that offers double the force you think you need, thereby allowing for a 50% safety factor. From there you will also need to know the stroke length. This is the length you need to move your object in and out. If the exact Stroke length is not available then you can install an external limit switch to stop the actuator exactly where you want it to. We offer this kit also and the wiring diagram to go with it which is very easy to follow.
Actuators run at their max speed out of the box when no force is applied to them. An Actuators' speed depends on a few things like force, the gear ratio, and voltage. A 24vdc power supply will make a 12vdc Actuator run twice as fast, meaning that speed is directly proportional to voltage input. If you want to slow down your actuator we offer a speed controller for exactly that situation. The Speed controller lets you set different speeds of the actuator simply by adjusting the voltage automatically for you to slower down the actuator, however these cannot speed up the actuator faster than it can already go.
Our Website only shows what is in stock, those options that are out of stock are greyed out so that you know it is not available to purchase. So therefore only in-stock products can be purchased online. Drop us a line to enquire about when particular products will be returned.
Yes we do. Our discount structure is based on volumes, so the more you buy the more you save its that simple. Simply give us a call to get volume discounted pricing, but these volumes start at 10pcs or more.
