A linear actuator is the right device too choose if you work with progressive automations. It is meant to move any load in a linear motion. Any linear actuator can be seen in various fields of our lives like in a self-regulating bed, in the hospital if we are talking about adjustable beds and armchairs, it is also widely used in the household as the means of upgrading anything from the garage door to lifting a cat truck. Nowadays linear actuators are mostly used for robotic and automatic builds, providing linear motion of upper and lower limbs in the robot and any other mechanism.
In order to build anything from the simplest linear movement to a complicated construction, you need to understand what will the speed of the stroke will be. What is a speed of a stoke? A speed of the stroke is the time when the actuator will reach a certain position from the shortest to its maximum length.
What kind of linear actuators are the best and the fastest?
For your linear actautors to be the fastest, you will have to consider the stroke length, the force and the speed. High speed linear actuators are usually used in mechanics, at the factory and house building – in places where you have to lift the weight at the fastest speed possible. You will also have to consider the price of your automation which can vary from 50 to 200 $ depending on the purpose, size and quality of your linear actuator. The input voltage can also be different, and all of those factors will influence the speed of your linear actuator. Also, if you have bigger weights, you will end up having a slower linear actuator with different characteristics because the load would slow down the initial process.
High-speed actuators acquire speed of about 3’5” sec, which is two times faster than an actuator of usual speed. If you want your very first automation for robotics or home building, industrial building etc. than this device will be just the right speed, because it has adjustable modes, which you can control. For instance, if we take a unit from the Progressive Automations official site it acquires the fastest speed and the stroke of 1-24 inches and the force of 11 lbs, 22 lbs and 33 lbs. It is the fastest unit of the line among all high-speed linear actuators, perfect for building an automation where the stroke has to be as precise as possible. The current motor that comes with this model allows to attach it to the control box and development micro-components. Usually, high-speed actuators cost more because they have a different kind of regulating process. While other automations have to retract slower, this model has to retract faster while having a 20% duty cycle, which is relatively low. When it comes to finding a perfect high-speed linear actuator, you can compare it to other variants from different websites, but be sure you buy them from trusty distributors. Also, if you want to order a linear actuator online, check what will come with it. Control panels are not included!