How strong are linear actuators?

Electric Linear Actuators can now compete with Hydraulic Actuators.

Powerful Linear Actuators have evolved greatly over the years as advancements in Magnets and Electronics have continued to get better and better. Electro Mechanical Linear Actuators get 100% their power from Magnetism, as does any AC or DC Electric motor.  Magnets have improved greatly over recent years as have Motor winding materials and technology.

The combination of rare earth Magnets and high tech materials is what makes these very strong Linear Actuators exist.  Its the electricity that run through these motor armature winding's and magnets used inside the motors that makes them so strong. So just to summarize, what makes Actuators so strong?,  you could say that Electro-Mechanical Linear Actuators get all their power from Magnetism, and its the power from that Magnetism that generates all its power.

Or Does it?

Obviously its takes more that magnetism to get the power out of the Actuators, and many would argue its what you do with all that power that counts. to be precise its how you transfer all that power from the magnetism of the motors to the final driving shaft is what's really important, and it is. Frictional losses, efficiency of the gearing system and many other factors are all what make-up how strong Linear Actuators actually are. 

What is the chain of power transmission within a Linear Actuator? 

The starting power that comes into the Actuator is the electrical power first and foremost, This is usually AC or DC voltage with the majority of Linear Actuators running on DC Power. 12v DC is probably the most common voltage used and the amount of Current been supplied is directly related to how much power the Actuator is able to generate. Of course the Motor will be designed to only handle so much current from the power source, but if there is not enough current to drive the Actuator at its full potential then the Actuator will not be as strong as it could be. 

how strong is a linear actuator

Batteries offer the best source of current for Actuators because they provide instant power with hundreds of amps usually.  Next is the Motors that we mentioned already but then comes the gearbox system. It is the gearbox that coverts the high speed of the AD or DC motor down to a lower final shaft or lead-screw speed and that speed reduction comes at a very nice little benefit... it increases the power. 

Increasing the power is what gives Actuators the ability to increase their strength. The way to think of it is when you run a car that has a stick shift. You would never be able to set off in your car in 5th gear. You always have to start in first gear. But whats really happening in the car is that the gearbox needs a high gear ratio (1st gear) to be able to create allot of power to get the car moving in the beginning, and the only way to do that is with reducing the speed from a high revving motor and transfer that high speed into power. 

Firgelli's Super Strong Linear Actuators

With a Continuous force rating of up to 2,200 lbs, and strokes from 250mm (10")  to 762mm (30") in increments of 125mm (5")  at 12vdc or 24vdc, these Heavy Duty Actuators can be used over a wide range of applications and Industries.  

How strong are linear actuators

This is the Firgelli Heavy Duty Linear Actuator FA-HD-2200-10 with a 10" stroke and packs a whopping 2,200 lbf or power. This Actuator provides lots of strength and power to match. Running on either 12v or 24vdc you have the option to also have feedback in these units. 

Extra strong linear actuators

Above is the Force and speed curves for the Firgell Extra strong linear actuator which has a wide range of application and industry specific uses. 

How to select the Strongest Linear Actuators

Putting together Linear Actuator system has never been easier, considering the many options available to designers  these days along with some very powerful new tools with which to design such systems, and the availability of more integrated components and so-called smart Linear actuators and advanced micro computers like Arduino's, it is no surprise. 

The force capabilities of actuators seems to be getting better, especially with the advancements in magnetic's and controls. For even more power gaining ground on fluid power technologies like hydraulics, has become a very familiar story. Hydraulic Linear actuators are still the most suitable when it comes to extreme high force capacity, but electro-mechanical actuators are catching up, primarily in the area of positional control. In fact the Control capable Electro Mechanical Linear Actuators are far more advanced than Hydraulic or Pneumatic systems. 

The reality is that there is a wide range of linear actuator options to meet the many diverse application needs and design challenges in every industry. Here are some of the best recent examples.

For help selecting the right Linear Actuator fro your application we created this help Blog called "Don't buy a linear Actuator until you read this"

How Durable and Reliable strong Linear Actuators?

Durability and Reliability are dependent on many factors. Contributing to them in high-load applications are environmental resistance ratings known as IP ratings. The higher the IP rating the better it is for harsher environments and the longer it may last. If you're application doesn't require such environments then the IP rating may not be as important to you. The highest IP ratings  are around IP69K static, IP67 static and IP66 dynamic. Even with high loads, actuators can still operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to +85°C (-40 to +185°F).

very strong linear actuators

Firgelli Automations Inc

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