Basic Linear Actuator Setup

As useful as linear actuators are, they're not very useful by themselves. In order to fully realize the potential of your actuator you need to have three basic elements in place:

• Power
• Control
• Mounting

Power

Power is the energy that drives your actuator. Many actuators are electric, but vary in terms of how that electricity is delivered and received. Most electric linear actuators natively support 12V DC and 24V DC, which is commonly found in various batteries for mobile applications. You can get around this by connecting a power converter or conditioner, usually found on most control boxes, that will convert 110V AC or 220V AC into 12V/24V DC. Adding a control box or other interface can be an important part of managing your actuator's power and control.

Control

Second after Power is Control. How can you turn your actuator on or off? How to tell it when to move or not? All of these questions are answered by various control interfaces. There are three common solutions: Control boxes, foot switches, and rocker switches.

A control box is a manual interface for an electric linear actuator that can control when it extends, retracts, or can simply pause it, 'locking' it in place. Depending on the model, a control box will often condition or convert power from a wall socket to be used by the actuator, going from 110V/220V AC to 12V/24V DC. This is convenient for non-portable applications since you don't have to track down or maintain batteries if your actuator setup isn't meant to be mobile. A control box is usually intended for 'manual' or interactive operation of the actuator, as opposed to automatic applications. Most control boxes have a wired or wireless remote that allow you to operate the actuator as you please, and some varieties even allow you to control more than one actuator simultaneously (usually 2 or 4). Control boxes are perfect for trouble shooting or testing your actuator to determine just how much force and motion may be required for the task you have at hand.

Foot pedals are a simpler way to control your actuator's operation. They can be hooked up to the actuator directly (in reverse polarity), or can be linked into a control box. The preferred route is to attach them to a control box so you can take advantage of the power conditioning/conversion that most control boxes provide. Foot pedals are excellent for 'hands free' scenarios where an operator needs to operate the actuator, but need both hands to work on something else. This is common in industrial applications or laboratories where assembly line style work takes place. Another popular use is in the medical field, where a doctor or patient can raise or lower a bed, examination table, or dentist chair.

How the pedal works varies depending on the model, but certain assumptions can be made. A single foot pedal will usually tell the actuator to go 'forward' when pushed up, 'backward' when pushed down, and can cancel movement when in-between. If the foot pedal is linked into a control box it may even be possible to control multiple actuators simultaneously. Two pedal foot switches can operate either way; one pedal goes 'forward, the other goes 'backward', or they can be used to control two actuators independently much like the single pedal version.

Rocker switches are simpler controls that are intended for more automated actuator scenarios. A rocker switch can have three positions: extend the actuator 'out' fully (e.g. up), retract the actuator 'in' fully (e.g. down), and pause the actuator if it's in motion (in between). These switches are rugged, simple, and fool proof which makes them ideal for high intensity or industrial applications that don't require fine manipulation of the actuator. They're used daily in things like door controls, elevators, cranes, forklifts, and so on. Rocker switches don't require a separate control box or power source, though they can work with either.

Mounting

An actuator is useless unless it's connected to something; one side has to be mounted against a static object so the actuator has something to 'push' against, and the other side has to be connected to something so it can be 'pushed'. This is where mounting brackets come into play. A mounting bracket is a relatively small bolt and bracket assembly that can be attached to either end of the actuator. The bracket has free movement along the axis of the bolt, allowing you to mount an actuator anywhere from 0 to 180 degrees on the surface of your choosing. When choosing a mounting solution you need to keep two important factors in mind, the strength of the bracket, and the strength of the material being mounted upon. You might make the right choice and get a sturdy ProgressiveAutomations bracket, but you also need to consider what you will then mount that bracket on. If you're using a 100 lb force actuator and mounting it on 1/4" particle board you'll run into trouble much sooner than later.

You've now learned about what components go into a full actuator set up. Hopefully these articles give you enough information so you can get started on your own exciting actuator-related projects. Please check back with us to see more examples of specific setups and other interesting linear actuator tidbits.