Todays Linear Servo Motor applications are more demanding than it has in the past. Higher precision, longer life, almost no maintenance, fewer moving parts, and the list goes on. Linear Servo Motor companies strive to meet these requirements and exceed them by continually creating new technology. In 2000, it was difficult to find a commercially available Linear Servo Motor that could travel 5 meters per second with straightness, load capacity and stiffness. Today there are many Linear Servo Motor products with these characteristics and are fairly cost effective. Advancements in Linear Servo Motor encoder technology assist in higher speed operation too. Present day Linear Servo Motor encoders and other devices are able to meet this challenge, are less noise susceptible, and cost less. Improvements in Linear Servo Motor mechanical drives have also moved forward. Ball screws with higher accuracy and faster leads result in higher throughput.

A screw-type linear actuator can have a static loading capacity, meaning that when the motor stops, the linear actuator is essentially locked in place and can support the load that is either pulling or pushing on the actuator. The braking force of the linear actuator varies with the angular pitch of the screw threads and the specific design of the threads.

Acme screws have a very high static load capacity, while ball screws have an extremely low load capacity and are nearly free-floating. Generally speaking, it is not possible to vary the static load capacity of a screw-type linear actuator without additional technology. The screw thread pitch and drive nut design of the screw-type linear actuator defines the specific load capacity that cannot be dynamically adjusted.