Food & Beverage Grade Linear Actuators

Electric Linear Actuators for Food & Beverage

Automating Food & Beverage Production
with Electric Linear Actuators

Food and beverage producers often have unique performance requirements for design of linear actuators. Clean, consistent, control with electric linear actuators means no air, no oil, and no leaks. Additionally, superior control provides:

  • Improved efficiency
  • Better quality
  • Optimal change-over times
  • Reduced waste

When hygienic machine designs require wash-down, IP69K rated equipment like our ERD-SS2 Actuators with Integrated Motor or the new RSH Hygienic Electric Actuator can be critical to ensure compliance and food safety. We understand best practices for designing electric actuators into food processing equipment.

Whether you have questions or are looking to request a quote, our application engineering experts are ready to collaborate with food and beverage producers and equipment OEMs on their requirements for linear motion design. Reach out to discuss your requirements today.

What Are Tolomatic Actuators Used For? 

In the food and beverage industry, our electrical actuators are often used for filling containers and bottles, dispensing a wide range of food and beverage products, cutting and slicing, pressing, pick and place functionality, and more. Check out more examples below for additional applications.

Preferred for Food & Beverage

With a full range of electric linear actuator designs driven by various screw technologies, Tolomatic can tailor solutions to the most demanding food and beverage applications. Some applications food- and beverage-grade actuators can be used for various processes, including:

  • Meat processing – Walking beams, poultry processing, seafood
  • Cutting & Slicing – Baked goods, cheese, meats and seafood
  • Pressing – Dough, cheese, sausage, molded food product
  • Positioning – Side guides for containers, food products, packaging trays
  • Pick & Place – Filling packages, sorting produce and other food products
  • Dispensing, Filling – Dairy products, soups, stews, confections, baked goods
  • Depositing – Dough, confections, edibles
  • Stacking – Waffles, tortillas, meat patties
  • Ultrasonic cutting – Baked goods
  • Product handling – Transport, sorting, loading, pick & place
  • Inspection – Positioning of product and inspection devices

Food & Beverage Success Stories

Food & Beverage Resources

Food & Beverage Products

Food Processing / Filling Machine

Application Description
Filling machine that requires frequent container changes and wash-down

Dough Pressing

Application Description:
OEM of automated baking equipment for dough pressing

Multi-head Scales

Application Description
Actuators to provide motion integral to multi-head scales used to sort, divide, weigh and package a variety of dry foods.

Sorting Sides of Beef

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD Rod Actuator

Bottle Filling

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD Rod Cylinder

Bulk Meat Chilling

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD15 with SS2 option

Carton Feeding

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: 2 MXB-P rodless belt drive actuators

Cheese Cutting

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: RSH30 Hygienic Electric Actuators

Cheese Production

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: RSH25 Hygienic Electric Actuator

Meat Slicing

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD15 with SS2 Option

Nitrogen Injection

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD15

Piston Filling

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: Custom Stainless Steel Actuator

Pneumatic Kick-off

Product Family: Pneumatic
Product Used: MXP40S Rodless Cylinder

Pork Processing Plant

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: RSH25 Hygienic Electric Actuator

Pumping Cheese

Challenge: Pumping liquid cheese through multiple piston assemblies to fill bags
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: RSH Hygienic Electric Actuator

Shrimp Processing & Peeling

Product Family: Power Transmission
Product Used: P20 Caliper Disc Brake

Cheese – Volumetric Filling

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: RSH Hygienic Electric Actuator

Volumetric Filling-Dairy

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD10 with SS2 option

Ergonomic Lift

Challenge: Removal and reinstallation of tooling fixture for on-site cleaning.
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: B3S15 Screw Drive Actuator

Cutting, Chopping, Slicing

Challenge: Mobile cutting, chopping, slicing systems that could be utilized for various products around the factory floor.
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD Low-cost Electric Cylinder

Volumetric Piston Filling

Challenge: Pump fluid based foods in a volumetric filling machine.
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD-SS2 Stainless Steel Electric Actuators with Protective Motor Enclosure

Sheet Cake Sorting

Challenge: Transferring frozen cakes to a packaging station.
Product Family: Pneumatic
Product Used: MGS Magnetic Linear Slides

Food Stacking

Challenge: Multiple lane stacking equipment for various food products (i.e., meat and vegetable patties, waffles, pancakes).
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD

Semi-Solid Viscous Filling

Challenge: Filling equipment with 8 variable dispensing heads integrated into production line.
Product Family: Electric
Product Used: ERD

Walking Beam in Meat Plant

Challenge: Pulling sides of pork and beef through the chilling process
Product Family: RSA-HT
Product Used: RSA-HT

Beef Processing

Product Family: Electric
Product Used: Positioning a saw blade for processing beef.

B3W Actuators

B3W linear belt drive actuators have an enclosed ball bearing design for heavy loads, high bending moments, and long service life.

MXP-S Air Cylinders

The MXP-S solid bearing long stroke pneumatic air cylinder offers a large carrier mounting pattern for load stability.

P20 Series Pneumatic Caliper Brake

Maximum dynamic torque of 1000 in-lbs (113 Nm) at 100 PSI (6.9 bar)

RSA-HT Heavy Duty Electric Linear Actuators

The RSA-HT heavy duty electric rod linear actuator accommodates larger motors and delivers high force with excellent accuracy and high speed. These high force electric linear actuators feature ball or roller screw selections, an enhanced high thrust bearing, and heavy duty internal bumpers. The standard grease zerk extends screw life by making relubrication easy and convenient without disassembly. RSA-HT actuators are suitable for valve actuation, punch press, injection molding and a wide range of other application.

IMA-S Stainless Steel Servo Motor Actuator

Combines a hygienic electric rod actuator and motor into one package. It is IP69K, built with 316 SST, and works with 3rd party drives and accessories. Forces up to 2,500 lbf (11.1 kN).

IMA Food Grade Servo Actuator

Food grade design combines an electric rod actuator and motor into one design with a white epoxy coating for wash-down environments. Integrates with 3rd party drives and accessories. Forces up to 6,900 lbf (30.6kN).

RSH Hygienic Electric Actuators

All 316 stainless steel construction and IP69K rating provide an electric rod style actuator ideal for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical machines. Forces up to 7,943 lbf (35.3 kN).

MXB-P Actuators

Linear actuator that uses a profiled rail bearing and belt drive train to move heavy loads at high speeds. Loads up to 1,290 lbs (586 kg).

B3S Linear Actuators

Tolomatic B3S ball screw linear actuators have an enclosed ball bearing design that accommodates heavy loads, high bending moments to deliver long service life.

MGS Magnetic Linear Slides

MGS magnetic linear slides offer coupling forces up to 70 lbs (31.8 Kg) and multi-ported block heads for flexible air connection.

ERD-SS2 Actuators with Integrated Motor

All stainless steel electric rod actuator that combines a motor in a protective enclosure for an all in one actuator and motor solution in an IP69k rated enclosure. Forces up to 320 lbf (1.4 kN).