How Does a Rotary Valve Actuator Differ from a Linear Actuator?
Credit to Author: Kavita Manral| Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2019 08:50:23 +0000
Valve Actuators can be classified into two types based on their motion. The two primary types of actuators are commonly referred to as rotary and linear. Rotary actuators turn an object by a few degrees in a circular motion—which could be limited or an infinite number. Linear actuators, on the other hand, move an object along a straight line, generally in back and forth motion.
A good example of rotary actuator is an electric motor used in power management and network connectivity. An electric motor is fundamentally an actuator that transforms an electrical signal into a rotating motion of its shaft. When a basic motor is subjected to a current, the motor rotates. Connect or link a motor directly to a load – this leads to the creation of a direct drive rotary actuator.
Many rotary actuators are integrated with mechanisms that are effectively used as mechanical levers (an advantage) to reduce rotational speed and increase torque. The output of this assembly is a rotary actuator if the result is rotational in nature.
Also, rotary actuators link and interact with mechanisms that alter the rotational motion to back and forth motion, known as linear actuators.
The mechanisms as mentioned above include ball screws; belt and pulleys; rack and pinions. All these are mechanical devices that translate energy. Ball screws and roller screws are traditionally used to translate rotary motion into linear motion. For example, machining centres. Belts and pulleys can be used in manufacturing units to translate the rotary motion of a motor into linear motion, such as a conveyor.
Rack and pinions are used for multiplying torque, reducing the speed of a rotary motion, but they can be also employed by coupling with a mechanism, which will translate the rotary motion into linear motion. #SchneiderElectric is a prominent brand across the globe offering valve actuator products to enhance power management #LifeIsOn.
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