Electromagnetic actuators use an internal electromagnetic field to provide motion and fall into two categories: solenoids and linear electromagnetic motors. They can be used for simple or sophisticated control of actuation time and positioning, and are widely used in industrial and domestic applications. Solenoids consist of a wire coil and ferrous metal plunger, while linear electromagnetic motors have a coil of wire wrapped around a hollow tube with a permanent magnet armature inside.
An electromagnetic actuator is any device that provides working motion courtesy of an internal electromagnetic field. These devices fall into two broad categories: solenoids and linear electromagnetic motors, both of which work on the same principle, but differ significantly in design. Both types, however, provide the motion used for actuation by exposing a free moving plunger or armature to the magnetic field created by energizing a static wire coil. The field attracts the plunger or armature which, in turn, moves, thus providing the required actuation. Different degrees of actuation functionality can be achieved with an electromagnetic actuator, ranging from simple single-cycle, single-speed actions to fairly sophisticated control of both actuation time and positioning.
Electromagnetic switching is one of the most widely used remote actuation methods available and can be found in heavy industrial manufacturing and domestic applications of all descriptions. The basic principle behind electromagnetic switching or activation can be clearly seen when a simple bar magnet is used to pick up spilled sewing pins from the floor. The basic requirement in switching and remote actuation is movement and, in the case of the electromagnetic actuator, a static coil is used to draw a plunger or ferrous metal armature which, in turn, provides the required movement. This motion can, depending on the design of the actuator, be a fairly simple unidirectional, single speed, or fully controllable motion in terms of speed and extent.
The term electromagnetic actuator can be applied to two basic categories of devices. First are solenoids, which are the simpler and more common of the two types. These devices consist of a static hollow centered wire coil and a movable ferrous metal plunger. In the neutral state, the solenoid valve piston is positioned in such a way in relation to the core opening that, when the coil is energized by an electric current, the magnetic field created in the coil will attract the piston. This elegantly pulls it to the center of the coil and provides the necessary motion to operate a secondary mechanism.
The linear electromagnetic motor is the second and most sophisticated of the electromagnetic actuator types. They consist of a hollow tube with a coil of wire wrapped around the inner surface. A permanent magnet armature is placed inside the core with the actuator arm attached to it. When the core is energized, the armature reacts to the magnetic field moving up or down the tube, the motion being transferred from the actuator arm to a secondary device. By manipulating the way electric current is applied to the static coil, a much more complex range of motion in terms of extent and duration can be achieved with this type of actuator.
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