Looking for a high speed linear actuator? Look no further than our P16 and T16 lines. These actuators are commonly used in applications that require a balance of speed and force.
Our custom high speed linear actuators offer an amazing 46mm/s of max unloaded speed in a tiny form factor. With strokes of 50mm, 100mm, 150mm, 200mm and 300mm, we offer a truly unique product that's unlike anything else on the market.
What are high speed linear actuators?
To say that something is 'high speed' is of course, completely relative. What's considered fast will vary from project to project. The fastest-moving actuators that we offer are the P16 and T16 lines in a 22:1 gear ratio. Unloaded, they move at 46mm/s.
That's fast.
The max force on those units is an impressive 11lbs. Not bad for units that weigh less than 150 grams.
High speed linear actuator applications
Many applications require a fast actuator. These include:
- Home and furniture automation: When you're driving a function on a piece of furniture, cabinetry or other home automation device, you probably don't want to wait too long for results.
- Robotics: Fast actuators are often required in quick-moving robotics projects. Check out the zapper arm on Doug's R2D2 droid. It's driven by a high speed T16 actuator.
- Automobile automation: There are dozens of ideal applications for customizing your vehicle or motorcycle.
OEM Applications Can Include:
- Electric emergency brake conversion
- Engine idle control
- Automated interior features (glove box, ash tray, storage etc.)
- Pop-out windows
- Sliding motorcycle windshields
- Auto-opening saddle bags
And much more, you get the point. When it comes to automation, there aren't limits anymore to what you can do to make your car or motorcycle your own. Our high speed linear actuators can help you make it happen.
Advantages and Disadvantages of High Speed Actuators
Advantages
Typically higher cycle life. The DC motor within a linear actuator is often the first item to fail. A faster actuator makes the stroke in a shorter time. This means that all things being equal, a fast actuator will end up doing more actuations in its lifetime than a slow unit.
Get the job done fast. For most applications, there's really no reason to use a slow actuator. Unless your specific project requires slow movement or you need higher force, fast actuators are just more time-efficient.
Disadvantages
There's not many. The main thing is that you're not going to be able to move as much weight. With screw drive actuators, there's always a trade off between force and speed. With faster units, they just can't exert as much force as the slower ones.
Designing High Speed Actuators
Our high speed actuators are carefully engineered by our in-house engineering team to provide reliable, smooth actuation over a long life span.
The main difference between our P16 and T16 lines of fast actuators, as compared to our other units, is the side-by-side motor and gearbox design. This results in the motor and gearbox compartment being larger than you will find in our other units, but results in a longer-lasting, more powerful device. A worthwhile tradeoff if you can spare the extra space in your design.
Other than the motor and gearbox design, the P16 actuators are similar to our L12 and L16 units. They use the same shaft and drive nut, as well as two of the same input types (-P and -S). They also use the same clevis end-tip so if you have designed a custom tip, it will be easily interchangeable.
How to control high speed linear actuators
Our high speed linear actuators come with your choice of two control types: -P series and -S series. These are compatible with a wide variety of control systems that we offer on our site.
-S series linear actuators with limit switches
Our -S series actuators are simple, 2-wire devices that are controlled by reversing polarity on the leads. All of our P16 and T16 lines are 12V input (we do have 6V actuators in the L12, L16 and PQ12 lines).
You can control the -S series with a DPDT switch or button such as the ones you will find in the 'Control Boards, Switches and Potentiometers' section on our site. They also work with our wireless actuator remote control system as well as our timer relay.
You can also control them directly from a 12V battery using alligator clips or directly from a 12V power supply. This is definitely the simplest device to use and is suitable for most projects.
The -S series has internal end of stroke limit switches. It will stop on its own when it reaches its end of stroke. If you want to reduce your stroke length, you can add an external limit switch as seen in this video.
-P series high speed linear actuator with potentiometer
Our -P series actuator does not have end of limit switches. It does, however, have position feedback. These are best suited to applications where you want to remotely control an actuator while monitoring its position. You can also add an external limit switch kit to a -P actuator to have the best of both worlds.
The -P series high speed linear actuators were developed alongside and intended to be used with our linear actuator control board. Through the board, the -P series gets stall protection as well as five different input modes:
- Voltage
- Current
- RC
- USB
- PWM
There is a control option here to suit any need. When used with an LAC board, it's super simple to use a high-speed -P series actuator in an RC project.
High speed actuator mounting options
Unlike our competitors, we throw an actuator mounting kit in with every single device that we sell. That means, if you buy 20 actuators, you will receive 20 mounting kits.
This takes away the hassle of trying to figure out how to properly and securely mount a high speed actuator to your project.
Though our mounting kit may not be suitable for every application, it's a great starting point for designing your custom mounting option that will cost you nothing.
Our competitors charge almost $10 extra for a mounting kit (that doesn't have as much hardware). That's not how we roll. You buy a high speed linear actuator from Actuonix, you're going to get everything you need to get it mounted up in the package.
Custom high speed linear actuator solutions
If you can't find exactly what you need on our site, get in touch and ask about a custom linear actuator! We have produced many custom units over the years. Below are some common customizations for our actuators:
- Adjust connector cable length
- Adjust connector cable length
- Custom gearing ratio for faster speed or more power
- Custom rod end clevis
- Custom decals to match your design
- Custom stroke length or limit switch placement
There are other customizations that we can perform as well. If you think that a custom actuator might be the best option for your business, give us a shout, we'd be happy to tell you about our customization options and lead times. Minimum order quantities apply.
How much do high speed linear actuators cost?
All of our actuators, including our high speed units, cost less than $100 USD. We strive to offer the best selection of products available anywhere, at a price that's affordable for OEMs and hobbyists alike. We do offer volume discounts starting at just 10 units.
Order High Speed Linear Actuators With Actuonix
Contact Actuonix today for more information regarding our high speed linear actuators or to submit your order!
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