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Servo welding actuators improve weld quality, reduce costs
Reducing manufacturing costs and improving product quality are driving forces in automotive manufacturing. Automation plays a key role in achieving these goals, and robots, especially welding robots, are an important part of the automation picture.
Resistance spot welding is used extensively in auto frame and body construction, and robotic welding lines are familiar sights in many plants. This type of welding requires speed, exact placement of welds, and precise pressure on weld tips. Most resistance spot welding robots rely on servo welding actuators to control cycle timing and pressure on weld tips.
Hygienic, IP69K electric rod actuator meets food processing needs
Food processing is a tough environment for most automation equipment. There may be washdowns with high-pressure, high-temperature water. Caustic cleaning agents might be used. There also may be strict food safety standards to adhere to, like the USDA’s regulations for the meat, poultry and dairy industries. As automation components, all linear actuators, like electric rod actuators, need to stand up to the rigors of the food processing environment.
Electric linear actuators and motors. Getting the right fit.
An electric linear actuator can outperform a pneumatic model with superior control of speed, position, and force as well as provide better accuracy and repeatability. But that superior performance comes with complexity. Pneumatic cylinders commonly are simple, easy-to-understand components, while electric linear actuators are systems comprised of a motor, controller, cables, and actuator. Plus attaching a motor to an actuator usually requires some kind of adaptor or housing.
Electric linear actuators deliver precise positioning for aerospace welding
Precision is integral to the aerospace and defense industries. Even a seemingly insignificant element of a device may be mission-critical, requiring the tightest manufacturing tolerances. That’s why when a rocket manufacturer contacted us about electric linear actuators that could hold their fuselage components in place for welding, we knew precise positioning would be a requirement.
[INFOGRAPHIC] Accuracy and repeatability in linear actuators
Machine builders frequently ask us, “How accurate is this actuator?” The answer is more than a number found in the product’s specifications. The real-world answer is much more complex.
In the real world of manufacturing, a greater degree of accuracy can come with a higher price tag. Sometimes you just need repeatability in your application, and that can be less costly. We urge you to thoroughly study the requirements and parameters of each application before selecting an actuator. Understanding the specific needs of each application will help you avoid excess costs and design a system with the best overall value.
Electric linear actuator sizing software makes selection easier
Selecting the right electric linear actuator for the task doesn’t have to be complicated. Our sizing software gets you to the right fit faster. The process begins when you enter your project parameters in our web interface at sizeit.tolomatic.com.The software asks the right questions and walks you through the specifying process step by step so you get the electric rod actuator or rodless electromechanical actuator that suits your application.
Electric linear actuator selection tips: Consider the environment
When you’re faced with electric linear actuator selection, one of the early considerations has to be the industrial environment in which it will operate. Will there be dust? How much dust and what kind? Will there be moisture? Direct spray? High temperatures and pressures? Corrosive substances?
These factors affect the performance of an electric linear actuator and may point to the best type for an application.
Better welds with electric linear actuators for resistance welding robots
U.S. and European car manufacturers have long been convinced of the benefits of automation in their production facilities. Spot welding robots are common in their body production lines.
Automation and robotics offer advantages in cost savings and quality, but plants in India, China, and Southeast Asia have been slow to get on the bandwagon. Perhaps some plant managers see these production processes as too expensive or difficult to implement. Whatever the reason, that situation may be changing according to a Frost & Sullivan study described in an article on The Fabricator.com
Compact, integrated linear actuator helps the show go on
Ever have an application where you had space for a pneumatic cylinder but needed the precision, programmability, and low maintenance of an electric linear actuator? You needed a compact, precise, reliable linear actuator. Does such a product exist? Of course it does! Here's a case study about an application where an integrated actuator solved this problem.
About the pneumatic linear actuator
Who doesn’t love a classic? There are classic clothes - like t-shirts and pull-over sweaters. Classic building designs - like Greek Revival and Victorian. Even classic cars. Whether it’s a building, a car or a pair of jeans, there’s nothing like the time-tested design and reliability of a classic.
When it comes to industrial automation, the pneumatic linear actuator or pneumatic air cylinder is a leading example of time-tested reliability. Since 1955, we've been developing and manufacturing these dependable workhorses for industry