Linear Actuators are a mechanical device used to develop force and linear motion from a source of energy. The force is translated into a linear motion rather than a rotational motion as an electrical motor would have it. The Linear Actuators convert rotary motion into linear displacement by screws or gears to which the electric motor is attached. Linear Actuators are components of a motion system used to restrict an object to a single axis of motion. All Linear Actuators consists of a platform and a base, joined by some form of guide or linear bearing. The platform of the Linear Actuators is restricted to linear motion with respect to the base. The term Linear Actuators may or may not also include the mechanism by which the position of the platform is controlled relative to the base.

Linear Actuators have a platform, also known as carriage, that moves relative to a base. The Linear Actuators are joined by a form of guide which only allows the carriage to move in one dimension or axis. There are a variety of different style of guides for Linear Actuators with pros and cons to make each suitable for a particular application. Ball Bearing Linear Actuators are fairly inexpensive. The drawbacks of Ball bearing Linear Actuators is short travel, low load capacity, poor accuracy, and short lifetime. Re-circulating ball bearing Linear Actuators have unlimited travel and are relatively inexpensive. The downside for this type of Linear Actuators is low load capacity, quick to wear, oscillating positioning load as bearings re-circulate. Crossed roller bearing Linear Actuators have high load capacity, good accuracy, and long lifetime. The cons to this type of Linear Actuators are short travel, which is limited by length of bearing contact and they are expensive. Flexure Linear Actuators have benefits of excellent accuracy, no backlash, and no wear. The downsides to flexure Linear Actuators include short travel, low load capacity, and expensive. Cylindrical sleeve Linear Actuators are capable of high load capacities, unlimited travel, and being inexpensive. The Linear Actuators are susceptible to binding if bending moments are present in the application. The Dovetail Linear Actuators have high load capacity capabilities, along with unlimited travel, long lifetime and are fairly inexpensive. These types of Linear Actuators require high positioning force and are susceptible to binding if bending moments are present a long with high backlash.

Manual Linear Actuators can have a crank or control knob in addition to a lead screw which is very typical in most applications. The knob of Linear Actuators can also be indexed to indicate the angular position of the load. The displacement of Linear Actuators is related to the angular displacement of the knob by the lead screw pitch. Precision Linear Actuators do not use a lead screw, but rather Linear Actuators of that caliber use a fine-pitch screw which presses on a hard metal pad on the platform of the storage. Rotating the screw will move the platform in a linear motion. A spring is used to keep force between the platform and Linear Actuators. This provides a more precise motion for Linear Actuators. Linear Actuators mounted vertically use something different, the actuator is connected to the moveable platform and its tip rests on a metal pad on the fixed base. The weight of the platform and its load is supported by the actuator.

In some Linear Actuators, a stepper motor may be used in place of a manual knob. A stepper motor used in Linear Actuators can move in fixed increments dependant on the step resolution of the system. The Linear Actuators, in this case, moves similar to an indexed knob.

In some Linear Actuators, a DC motor can be used in place of a manual knob control. A DC motor, however, does not move in fixed increments like a stepper motor or knob in Linear Actuators. An alternate means for Linear Actuators is required for position verification. This can be addressed with an encoder being integrated into Linear Actuators. The encoder allows a motion controller to reliably move the stage to set positions within the Linear Actuators.

For control of position in more than one direction, Linear Actuators of a single-axis may be combined to allow motion in multiple directions. A two-axis system of Linear Actuators can be assembled from two Linear Actuators, one mounted to the platform or carriage to the other in a way that the axis of motion of the second Linear Actuators is perpendicular of the first. Three-axis or X-Y-Z stage is composed of three Linear Actuators mounted to each other where the axis of motion of all stages is orthogonal. Many two-axis and three-axis Linear Actuators are designs integrated rather than assembled from separate single-axis Linear Actuators. Utilizing rotary elements can also create four-axis, five-axis, and even six-axis Linear Actuators.

Linear Actuators can be used in the following applications:

Lab Automation
Biotech Automation
Inspection Stations
Part Scanning
Pick & Place
Liquid Dispensing
Part Insertion

Today in most manufacturing process the use of Linear Actuators is extremely common because Linear Actuators may be customized to whatever the application may be. Within the biotechnology field, finding a means of accelerating drug testing is an important task for scientists. By using Linear Actuators you can precisely position plates that contain minute quantities of drug samples. With the precision of Linear Actuators bio-technicians can test more samples more quickly, resulting in new pharmaceutical solutions faster. Linear Actuators are used throughout the packaging industry one example being liquid dispensing; Linear Actuators track the bottle on the moving conveyor while filling it up and retract as the liquid level rises. After the bottle has been filled up vertical Linear Actuators lower a threaded cap onto the bottle and uses a rotary motor to tighten the cap. When wanting to move one product from one conveyor belt to another we use Linear Actuators to channel these products to different conveyors. Linear Actuators are not solely for the packaging and manufacturing industries but are also being used in everyday life by everyday people, for example; your local deli could be using an automatic food slicer that is controlled by Linear Actuators which feed the food into the slicing mechanism.