Need a step-by-step guide to choosing your linear actuators? We have compiled the info you need to make the best choice for actuators in your home automation project.
Contact Progressive Automations with any questions you may have. We're happy to help.
1. Everything you need to know about asking the right questions, selecting
force, stroke length, speed and all the other considerations before you invest
in any electric linear actuator for your home automation.
2. The Moment of Truth
This is the question that will affect your
entire project. Don’t poorly plan this
portion, because you may run into
problems down the road.
If you’re automating your television so it
pops up out of a box or chest, do you want
to be able to sit down on your couch and
use a remote?
If you are automating parts of your
kitchen, will the system be close to water or
other hazards?
Take your automation function from start
to finish. What are the some of the
engineering hurdles you’ll have to move
around to make this project work?
List Everything!
List out all the potential problems, and
solve them on paper before seeking out
products.
Once you have planned out the
function, you can start thinking about the
type of actuator that will perform the best
for your project.
Ask an Engineer
If you want an extra set of eyes on your
project, call your actuator manufacturer
before you purchase and explain what you
are trying to automate. They will have the
resources and the experience to give you
some solid suggestions
More Help
Check out this interview with Toni
Klopfenstein on home automation to help
answer some of your automation function
questions.
3. Force Considerations
This should be a relatively easy question
to answer. You should be able to find out
what weight of your entire project is fairly
easily.
Take into account every component that
will be lifted by the actuator. Are there
components that may be attached only
some of the time to the automation project?
Finding Force Without a Scale
So, your bathroom scale can’t fit your
entire project. That’s okay. It might take
some simple mathematical equations, but
there are a number of ways to find out the
weight of something if you know the
volume.
Don’t know the volume? That’s okay too.
Measure the length, width and height of the
object and multiply the numbers together.
L x W x H. You now have your volume.
You can now use the equation: mass =
density x volume.
If you don’t know what your density
is, you can consult any number of density
tables on the internet. Go to Google and
type in ‘density table for [oak, pine, plastic
or whatever your material is]’. Go ahead.
We’ll wait here.
Have your density now? Fantastic. Now
complete the equation and you have your
weight.
When you are solving this
equation, measure everything twice. If your
weight calculations are off, it can affect your
entire project. It’s better to spec over than
under.
4. Finding the Length
Measuring the Stroke
The next part is finding the ideal
stroke length for your actuator. Too
short, and your project won’t function.
Too long, and you might end up putting
too much pressure on the actuator
motor. This can result in motor
overheating and your project ending in a
heap of broken parts and tears.
If you don’t know your stroke
length, you can find it easily. Measure
the length between your project when
it’s fully retracted and fully extended.
This will give you your required stroke
length. Easy, huh?
Take into account how long the
actuator itself will be and where the
mounting brackets will be placed.
Each manufacturer will have different
specifications for their actuators.
5. Fast Motion
Every project will have different
requirements for speed. All actuators
will have limitations on the available
speeds.
If you are using a heavy-duty linear
actuator, the max speed limit will be
relatively low.
Just keep in mind that the more you
want to push, the lower the speed will
be. The manufacturer should be able to
tell you what the no-load speed is and
what the max-load speed is. The
product specifications should identify
what both speeds are.
Count it Out
Actuators are measured in inches per
second. If you don’t know how fast you
want your actuators to be – count it
out. Count how many seconds it takes
for your project to get from its retracted
length to its extended length.
When thinking about your actuator
speed, keep in mind that if you select
something too slow, you might get
frustrated when it doesn’t open or close
fast enough for you.
6. What You Should Be Considering
Mounting can be a tricky process. When
you have a limited amount of space for
your actuator, you might have to get
creative.
There are commonly a few options when
it comes to mounting an actuator.
The first option is a bracket. A bracket
will attach to the actuator and to the base
of the project. A bracket should have at
least 180-degrees of flexibility. That way
you can mount the actuator in the ideal
position for the project.
The second option is to get mounting
brackets that fasten along the stroke of the
actuator rather than at the ends. This is
good if your actuator will be mounted on
the wall of a project.
For additional support, you can use both
mounting options.
7. Wired or Wireless – That Is the
Question
Control options are varied. Your project
function will help determine what kind of
control you require. For many home
automation projects, the preferred method
is wireless control. Wireless remotes are
portable with a few simple buttons to
control retracting and extending your
actuators. Wired remotes can be more cost
efficient, and they can also prevent
instances of “Where the hell is my
remote!?”
Foot Control
Some manufacturers may offer foot
controls if that’s what your fancy is. These
keep both hands free and allow for better
control.
Rock and Roll Switches
There are two types of rocker switches
for actuator control.
The first, a momentary switch, has only
two positions. It will stop the moment you
take your hand off the switch.
The second, a non-momentary
switch, has three positions. It will retract
or extend until you put the switch back in
the ‘off’ position.
These switches can be mounted on your
application, on a wall or another place you
find ideal.
The Box
You can opt for a simple control box that
moves just one actuator, or you can opt for
a box that controls multiple actuators. For
actuator junkies, control boxes are
available that control up to 12 actuators at
once. Don’t overdose.
If you are controlling two actuators at
once, they can be controlled together
(simultaneously) or separately (nonsimultaneously). The option you choose
depends on your function.
8. Battery Powered and Wall-Powered
Awesome-ness
Now that you know what kind of control
over your home automation project you
want, you can move on to the power.
This is an easy choice, because you’ve
only two options. AC or DC.
Either you want your project to be
moveable or you plan on keeping it
stationary for its lifetime.
Volts and Amperage
Picking a Control Box
Again, every project may be different.
Think about how much voltage and
amperage your project will need before you
start buying products and plugging them
in. You could end up with a brand
new, unwanted hairstyle.
If you’re unsure of the power
requirements, call up the actuator
manufacturer and let them know what
you’re trying to do.
From the last two slides, you should now
have a pretty good idea about what kind of
control box will fit your project.
9. Ingress, What?
Ingress Protection is a set of two
numbers (on rare occasions three) that
determined what kind of environments
your actuator may or may not be used
in.
We won’t blame if you’ve never
thought about what kind of ingress
protection your project needs.
The following table is an explanation
of what the numbers of each IP rating
mean.
No.
Solid
Liquid
0
No protection
No protection
1
Protection from solid objects over 50mm.
Protection against vertical water droplets and
condensation.
2
Protection from solid objects over 12.5mm.
Protection from falling water droplets.
3
Protection from solid objects over 2.5mm.
Protection from water spray in any direction.
4
Protection from solid objects over 1.0mm.
Protection from water splash in any direction.
5
Some protection against dust.
Protection from low pressure water jets.
6
Complete protection from dust.
Protection from high pressure water jets.
7
n/a
Protection from water immersion for short periods.
8
n/a
Protection from water immersion for long periods.
9
n/a
Protection from close- range, high pressure, high temp
sprays.
10. We’re not talking about finding color
coordinated drapes that match your
project. We’re talking the awesome
power of complete control over how
your actuators function.
There are any number of actuator
accessories available. These are just a
few that can be found.
Speed Controllers
They won’t let your actuator go over its
max-speed, but they do have the ability
to slow down your actuators if you find
they are moving too fast.
Boots
These are fantastic for outdoor
automation. They are a simple, rubber
boot that provides you actuators with
extra protection from the elements.
Programmable Timers
These are meant to keep your
actuators moving for a specified
amount of time. You can walk away for a
day and your actuators will keep on
moving along.
11. You Get What You Pay For
Price will always come into the mix.
There’s not a whole lot to say about this
except that if you choose an actuator
solely based on its price alone, you
might be getting a product that doesn’t
function.
Price is at the end of this presentation
because, ideally, you should be thinking
about everything else before you get
into price considerations. Put it at the
front and you’re severely limiting your
options.
That being said, you don’t have to
spend a whack load of money to get an
actuator that functions the way you
want it to. There is always a reasonable
middle ground.
When thinking about automation, take
into account the amount of money you
stand to save because of automation. If
you’re automating windows to close
when the temperature reaches a certain
spot, how much money do you stand to
save? When will the price of your
actuators be recouped from the savings?
12. By now you should have an
actuator that will match your
function. If you’re still unsure about
any of this, you can give us a call
and explain your needs.
We’re here to answer all of your
questions and find you an actuator
that best suits your needs.
No upselling. No pressure. Just an
actuator that delivers what it
promises.
http://www.actuatorzone.com
1.800.676.6123
sales@progressiveautomations.com