What’s a Linear Servo Actuator?

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A linear servo actuator is a device used to provide straight-line actuation of secondary mechanisms, the extent, direction and duration of which are based on the feedback signals of these mechanisms. In the simplest terms, the servo actuator is used to operate a specific piece of machinery or equipment when and how the machine tells it to. This control is made possible by a series of sensors that provide readings regarding the real-time positional orientation of the secondary mechanism. A servo controller compares these readings to a set of predetermined “desirable” parameters and establishes any discrepancies between the two. If differences are detected, the controller commands the actuator to produce a correction movement.

Servo linear actuator is a term that consists of three descriptive elements namely actuator, servo and linear. To fully understand the function of the linear servo actuator, it is necessary to appreciate the individual definitions of each of these elements. An actuator is a device used to provide motion which is used to produce the remote activation of something else. For example, the device that remotely opens and closes a set of ventilation dampers is an actuator, as it provides the movement necessary to operate the damper mechanism. Actuators generally produce two different types of motion: linear or rotary.

The linear descriptor in the term refers to which of these two output motions the actuator produces. In this case, it’s a linear motion, or back and forth. The third descriptive element is the most complex and describes the control source for the linear servo actuator. A servo system is one that produces a range of output results based on a series of system inputs or feedbacks. This is in contrast to conventional systems where the actuator is simply turned on and produces a finite, pre-set range of motion.

A linear servo actuator is capable of much more precise control in response to the changing demands of the system it drives. This control is made possible by including a servo controller and a set of environmental sensors in the system. The sensors will send a constant stream of real-time information to the controller, enabling it to create an accurate picture of the exact state of the mechanism in terms of position. This information is then compared by the controller to a predetermined ideal or desired state with the controller moving the actuator to the desired position if a discrepancy is found. In this way, the servo linear actuator provides straight-line motion control as per the system requirements courtesy of a servo controller.

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