The Concept: The most popular DIY actuator project. A mechanism hidden inside a cabinet pushes a television vertically through a hinged lid on the countertop, hiding it when not in use.

Key Design Challenge: Stability. When fully extended, a heavy TV on a single rod actuator will wobble. You must use linear guide rails alongside the actuator, or use a dedicated Track Actuator system which has built-in stability.

Recommended Firgelli Type: A dedicated TV Lift Mechanism (easiest) or a Track Actuator (for custom builds).

The Concept: Instead of rising, the TV folds down from a cavity in the ceiling. This requires the actuator to pull the load up and lock it in place.

Key Design Challenge: Safety & Leverage. If power fails, the TV cannot drop. The geometry of the hinge is crucial; the actuator often needs much more force than the TV's weight due to the leverage angle when nearly closed.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Drop Down TV Lift Mechanism for safety factor.

The Concept: Heavy appliances like KitchenAid mixers are lifted vertically from inside a lower cabinet to countertop height on a sturdy platform.

Key Design Challenge: Cantilevered Load. The shelf is extending sideways from the cabinet wall. You need very robust drawer slides or linear bearing rails to handle the moment load, with the actuator doing the vertical lifting.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Super duty Actuator combined with Heavy Duty Linear Slides.

The Concept: Utilizing high, hard-to-reach cabinets by having the entire shelf structure raised up to eye level at the push of a button to keep ugly appliance out of sight when not used. A column lift is perfect for this type of application.

Key Design Challenge: Space. There is rarely room for a bulky motor inside an upper cabinet. The actuator must be slim and often mounted vertically behind the shelving unit.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Column Lift  (Slim column style design saves space).

The Concept: A classic application where a heavy door mounted on a pivot hinge on the ground is pushed open or pulled closed automatically to reveal a secret room in the basement.

Key Design Challenge: Mounting Geometry. Mounting the actuator too close to the hinge requires massive force. Mounting it further away requires a longer stroke. Finding the balance is key to smooth operation. We also reccomend adding a gas spring to take much of the load and let the Actuator do the rest of the work. Adding gas springs allow you to get away with using a faster Actuator for faster opening and closing of the door.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Industrial Series Actuators (Quiet operation).

The Concept: Actuators tilt solar arrays throughout the day to follow the sun's east-to-west path, increasing energy generation by up to 25%.

Key Design Challenge: Environmental Durability. The unit must withstand rain, snow, dust, and constant UV exposure. It also needs high static holding force so wind doesn't back-drive the panel.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Industrial Heavy Duty Actuator with Feedback.

The Concept: Automating the small sliding door of a chicken coop to open at sunrise and close at sunset, The FCB-2 or FCB-2 Actuator controllers are ideal for timer type applications where you want to program something to open and close either at a certain time of day or in incremental time slots. 

Key Design Challenge: Power Consumption. These systems are often off-grid. The actuator should draw zero power when not moving. Ensure limit switches are used to cut power at the end of the stroke.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Classic Rod Actuator (Simple and reliable).

The Concept: Replacing standard gas struts on a heavy fiberglass or metal truck bed cover with electric actuators for push-button opening.

Key Design Challenge: Synchronization. If using two actuators (one on each side), they must move at the same speed, otherwise the cover will twist and jam. This requires a synchronous controller.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Feedback Actuators paired with an FCB-1 Synchronous Controller.

The Concept: Lifting heavy, often padded fiberglass engine covers on boats to access the engine bay.

Key Design Challenge: Corrosion. Standard aluminum or steel actuators will corrode quickly in a marine environment. Stainless steel shafts and high IP ratings are non-negotiable.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Industrial Series (Look for stainless steel options/high IP rating).

The Concept: Pushing out entire room sections of an RV or camper van to expand living space when parked. Typically these slide-outs need 2 actuators to run in sync so that the section of the RV pops-out evenly and does not bind anywhere which is a common problem for slide-out systems on campervans and RV's  We recommend the higher force of the Super Duty Actuators which can be connected to most Sync boxes including an FCB-1 or FCB-2 control box 

Key Design Challenge: High Force over Long Stroke. The actuator must push a massive load evenly. Often requires a track system or very rugged rod actuators designed for high static loads to keep the room sealed when retracted.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Super Duty Industrial Actuators.

The Concept: Using very small actuators to provide linear movement for opening/closing robotic fingers or actuating elbow joints in small-scale robotics. For this application you need to use micro actuator with built-in hall sensors for precision micro control.

Key Design Challenge: Precision & Weight. The actuator must be lightweight so it doesn't burden the robot arm, but precise enough to handle delicate objects. Positional feedback allows the controller to know exactly how "closed" the gripper is. 

Recommended Firgelli Type: Micro Actuators or Feedback Micro series.

The Concept: Converting an existing fixed-height desk into an adjustable sit-stand desk by replacing the legs with lifting columns or adding actuators to the frame.

Key Design Challenge: Wobble & Sync. A desk must be rock solid at full height. Using dedicated telescopic lifting columns is much more stable than trying to retrofit standard rod actuators to existing legs.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Dedicated Desk Lift Columns.

The Concept: Used in factory automation to quickly push packages or products from one conveyor belt to another for sorting.

Key Design Challenge: Speed vs. Duty Cycle. Standard actuators will overheat if run constantly at high speed. You need industrial-grade units designed for high duty cycles, or consider pneumatic alternatives if the cycle rate is extremely fast.

Recommended Firgelli Type: High-Speed Actuators or Industrial Duty.

The Concept: Adjusting the backrest, leg rest, or overall height of medical beds, dental chairs, or patient lifts.

Key Design Challenge: Safety and Smoothness. Jerky movements are unacceptable in medical applications. The actuator must be powerful but geared for slow, smooth, and quiet operation with absolute reliability.

Recommended Firgelli Type: Premium Quiet Series or Industrial units for heavier lifts.

The Concept: Creating scare props that jump out, lids that bang on coffins, or monsters that slowly rise from behind tombstones. You can add a motion sensor to the system so that when someone walks by the system automatically activates. 

Key Design Challenge: Speed vs. Noise. For a fast "jump scare," electric actuators can sometimes be too slow or too loud compared to pneumatics (air cylinders). However, for slow, creepy movements, electric actuators are superior and easier to control.

Recommended Firgelli Type: C-series Actuators for scares, or Classic Rods for slow movement.