Monday, December 6, 2010

Electric Actuators: What Is an Actuator?

An actuator is a mechanical device which is designed to convert an electrical signal into a physical action. They are typically used in manufacturing industrial applications and may be used for inflow-control valves, pumps, positioning drives, motors, switches, relays and meters. Actuators are available in different forms such as pneumatic actuator, rotary actuator, linear actuator, electric actuator, piston actuator and hydraulic actuators. Each form is operated by a specific source of energy, for instance, mechanical, electrical and potential energy, stored in compressed liquids or gasses.

From all the actuators that are available in the market, the most common type is a hydraulic actuator or an electro-servo actuator. In order to perform a simple task, fluid power for hydraulic machinery is used. This liquid is known as hydraulic fluid. The liquid is transmitted through hydraulic cylinders or motors and can be controlled by valves. Hydraulic machinery can produce very high amounts of power and wide array of actuators that can make use of this power. Linear actuators possess a piston to set a stroke. In these actuators hydraulic pressure is created by pushing and pulling of the piston from a fixed length and force. The hydraulic pressure is placed on one end which forces the piston to move to the opposite end resulting in the pushing of the rod to extend it. Reversing the hydraulic pressure will cause the rod to stroke back to the original position.

A pneumatic actuator is normally used to compress air as a source of energy which then converts it into motion. Each type of actuator produces specific motion like oscillatory or linear, depending on the type of the actuator. Pneumatic actuators contain a piston, a cylinder and valves or ports. The enclosed diaphragm protects the piston and keeps the air in the upper portion of the cylinder. This construction permits the air pressure to push the diaphragm downward, moving the piston underneath, which is connected to the internal parts of the actuator. Few examples of pneumatic actuators include: grippers, tie road cylinders, rotary actuators, vacuum generators etc. For the effective functioning of actuators, larger size of a piston is recommended because a larger piston would prove more effective if the air supply is low, allowing the same force with a lesser amount of input. SearchMe4 is a local information and online business directory that provides contact details of the UK actuators.

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