Actuator travel is the full length of motion an actuator is capable of and is important when choosing or designing systems. Linear actuators are easier to measure than rotary ones. Incorrectly rated actuators can cause loss of efficiency or serious injury. Fixed stroke actuators have pre-set ranges while others can be adjusted. Measuring stroke can be tricky, but can be done using a protractor for rotary actuators. Multi-turn rotary actuators are rated by the number of full revolutions they produce.
Actuator travel is a quantitative term used to express the full length of working motion that any actuator is capable of. This operating variable is a key consideration when choosing actuators or designing systems based on existing drives. The actuators are capable of setting fixed travel values or can be adjusted to produce ranges of motion to suit the particular application. The stroke values of linear and rotary actuators are determined and expressed in different ways, with the linear types generally being easier to measure. Some multi-turn rotary actuators do not have travel values as such, but are rather defined by the number of full rotations they produce.
The full extent of the working motion output of an actuator is known as travel. A thorough understanding of the optimum, minimum and maximum actuator travel values for any application is critical to the safe and efficient operation of both the actuator and the mechanism to which it is attached. If an incorrectly rated actuator is used, a loss of efficiency is usually the best case scenario. On the other hand, destruction of the actuator, the driven mechanism or serious injury to the operator is a distinct possibility if the stroke of the actuator is not suited to the specific application.
Fixed stroke actuators produce a finite, pre-set range of motion. These devices are used where exact matches between the actuator output and the actuation requirements of the secondary device are possible. Other types of actuators have built-in tuning controls that allow the device output to be set according to application requirements. In some cases, power to the actuator can also be routed through limit switches which stop the actuator when it reaches its optimum stroke length.
Measuring the stroke of an actuator can be tricky, particularly with rotating devices. Fixed output linear actuators are the easiest examples to measure. To achieve this, the actuator is disconnected from the secondary device and its mechanism is placed in the neutral or null position. The full length of the actuator is then measured from its back surface to the center of the actuator arm link pin. The device is then driven to produce its full motion and re-measured, the difference between the two measurements being the actuator travel value.
The actuator travel of a rotary actuator is a little more difficult to determine. Devices that develop less than one full revolution of output motion have travel values expressed in degrees. There are several ways to establish this value if it is unknown, one of which is the use of a specially designed protractor model. For obvious reasons, multi-turn rotary actuators are not rated by stroke length. Their horsepower is expressed in the number of full revolutions they produce.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
