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Linear Actuators
Dr. Ashraf Saleem
Linear Actuators
Stepper linear actuators
DC linear actuators
AC linear actuators
Fluid (hydraulic and pneumatic) cylinders
Advantages
Disadvantages
Cost: Linear Motors are expensive. This is due to the relative low
volume produced, and the price of magnets
Heating: In most linear motor applications, the forcer is attached to
the load. Any losses are then directly coupled to the load. If an
application is sensitive to heat, thermal management techniques
need to be applied. Air and water cooling options are popular and
common.
No Friction: This may not sound like a problem, but it certainly can
be. For instance, a linear motor is travelling at 3 meters/second (120
ips) and loses power. Without some resistance in the system, it does
not take long before the motor reaches the end of stroke and
mechanical stops.
Fixed Form
Power
Processing Unit
(PPU)
Motor
Load
Speed/
Position
Adjustable Form
Sensor
Power
Controller
Signal
Input command
(speed/position)
Hydraulic Actuators
Principle of Operation
An actuator of this type works by changes of
pressure. This system can be used in both linear
and rotary actuation. The general linear
mechanism consists of a piston encased in a
chamber with a piston rod protruding from the
chamber. The piston rod serves as the power
transmission link between the piston inside the
chamber and the external world
Advantages
Disadvantages
Pneumatic Actuators
Principle of operation
This type of actuators are the direct descendents of the
hydraulic systems. The difference between the two is
that pneumatic systems use a compressible gas (i.e. air )
as the medium for energy transmission. This makes the
pneumatic system more passively compliant than the
hydraulic system. With pneumatic actuators, the
pressure within the chambers is lower than that of
hydraulic systems resulting in lower force capabilities. In
Figure 4 there is a cut away view of the basic pneumatic
actuator. It is quite similar to the hydraulic counterpart
however there are no return hydraulic lines for fluid. In a
typical actuator of this type the fluid, namely air, is simply
exhausted through the outlet valve in the actuator.
Advantages
Pneumatic
Disadvantages
Pneumatic