What is a linear actuator?

A FIRGELLI Linear Actuator will offer simple maintenance free operation, that's easy to install and operate. But first what is a Linear Actuator? It's a device that requires an electrical energy input and an external an optional signal input. Its a device that converts the rotational motion of an AC or DC motor into linear motion. It can provide both push and pull movements. This movement makes it possible to lift, drop, slide, adjust, tilt, push, or pull objects with the simple push of a button. Today there are hundreds of millions of Actuators used in the world to perform many different tasks. An Electric Linear Actuator consists of a DC or AC motor, a series of gears, and a lead screw with a driving nut that pushes the main rod shaft in and out. FIRGELLI sells 12v Linear Actuators and 24v Linear Actuators.

How does a Linear Actuator Work?

The first thing to know is that a linear actuator does exactly what its name implies: it actuates (or 'moves') in a linear (or 'straight') fashion. There are many different ways that a motor can do this, and their motion is commonly achieved with a rod extending and retracting, or a slider that moves on a track. The linear motion is created by using a Lead-screw. The screw turns either clockwise or counter-clockwise and this causes the shaft, which is basically a nut on the screw to move up and down the screw as the screw turns. This is what converts rotary motion from the electric motor to Linear motion.The motors used are either AC or DC motors, most however run on 12v dc. To make a Linear Actuator go the opposite direction you simple reverse the wires from the Actuator (reverse polarity) from the battery or power supply. This is typically done through a switch that automatically reverses the polarity to the motor for you. Different speeds and forces are achieved by using different gear ratio's inside the Linear Actuator gearbox system. Please remember in a Linear Actuator, force and speed trade-off against each other. That means if you want high force you have to settle for a lower speed than if you require lower force. This is because the only constant in a Linear Actuator is the Motor speed and force for a given input voltage.To make the shaft stop when it gets to the end of the stroke, our products have built-in limit switches or micro switches as they are sometimes known. These limit switches are inside the main shaft and are nothing more than a small switch that is triggered by the nut inside that slides up and down the screw. There is one for the top extended position and one for the lower retracted position. For more information on this, check out our Blogs page .

How do I choose the right actuator for my application?

There are a few variables to consider, but we can simplify this greatly for you, by using our calculator we built. This Calculator is based on the physics calculations our in-house team uses every day, we just decided to simplify it and make it available to everyone. If this calculator does not cover your application please please email us any diagrams, sketches, etc, and we will be glad to help.

How do you make a Linear Actuator faster?

FIRGELLI has made it possible to make a Linear Actuator faster with its speed controller which allows you to choose from 16 different speed settings. Firgelli's FA-SC1 speed controller enables you to adjust the speed using either manually set DIP switches or an external voltage signal. We have created an in-depth easy to follow tutorial on how to make your Linear Actuator Faster. Contact us if you have any questions.

Is the specific unit I need in stock?

When selecting the product which you want to order, only the in-stock items will be listed under the options. For example, if you are looking for a 3 inch, 150lb actuator and it is out of stock, 3" will not show under the available stroke options.

Do you do Bulk Discounts?

Yes, you can save on your order when purchasing our Actuators in large volumes. Discounts will be calculated at checkout. Our base discount is 20% when you purchase a minimum quantity of 11 units of an actuator, and then the discount scales up as you purchase more. The full discount information table can be found on each actuator product page.

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