The role of actuators in hydraulic engineering

From the beginning dating back to eons, humanity’s innovative mind has denoted the forward march of civilization. In this sense, each technical and technological innovation is considered a milestone in this advance. It ranges from the utility of a simple lever and the circular motion of a wheel to the design and development of modern mechanics.

Thus, from the strangest modes and implements of yesteryear, the science of mechanics has progressed to the present age of hydraulics and pneumatics. Over the past century, this technological transformation in dynamics has been made possible by a small active wire entity called an actuator. It is a motor that gives movement and also controls the mechanism of a system.

Conceptually, an actuator works with energy input that could be electrical, hydraulic fluid pressure, or pneumatic pressure. Turn that input into motion. The input could be mechanical or fixed electronic which by the way is governed by software these days.

An electric actuator is the widely used means of powering both light and heavy machinery. It is powered by a motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical torque. In almost all applications, electric actuators energize various modes, such as multi-turn valves. It is one of the cleanest and most popular ways since there is no oil participation in all operations.

Since actuators play a key role in the operation of hydraulic systems, they are in high demand. Industries that are dedicated to the manufacture of heavy and light machinery, based on hydraulic engineering, simply rely on linear actuators. In principle, a linear actuator starts a movement in a straight line. This is in contrast to the circular motion of a conventional electric motor.

Linear actuators have found applications in a wide range of industrial machinery and tools. Apart from valves and dampers, and in many other areas, linear actuators play a key role even in ICT-based products and applications. These are computer peripherals for disk drives and printers.

Manufactured from high intensity, high wear resistance material, these actuators are assembled with high precision components. There are several advantages of linear actuators, such as resistance to high load capacity, shock resistance, low noise level, and durability.

The main manufacturers in this trade produce the following:

  • Cylinders

  • Aircraft service carts

  • Transportation systems

  • Hydraulic Distribution

  • Off-road products-Dana

  • Electromechanical actuators – Linkan

  • Car parking systems

Generally these actuators are classified by the built-in fasteners such as acme screw and ball screw. Relevant synchronization and multiple positioning are performed by encoders depending on the wide range of applications. In addition to hydraulic and pneumatic engineering, linear actuators have proven their usefulness in many related techniques, such as electromechanical and piezoelectric systems.

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