Rotary actuators and linear actuators are two different types of actuators, which are significantly different in many aspects. The following is a detailed analysis of the differences between the two actuators:
1. Working principle and dynamic characteristics
Rotary actuator: Its principle is to achieve the movement of an object by converting energy into rotational motion.
It requires the conversion from electrical energy to power and then to an accurate angular position.
It is an empty balance structure with rotational motion and vibration.
The rotary actuator can rotate from a small angle to a large angle to improve the rotation accuracy of the machine.
Linear actuator: Its principle is to convert energy into linear movement. It is a plug-in structure with the characteristics of simple structure and direct drive.
The linear displacement and rotation angle of the linear actuator are not subject to other restrictions, which can effectively improve the efficiency of mechanical equipment.
2. Use
Rotary actuator: It is mainly used in occasions where rotational motion is required, such as gear pumps, motor rotors, wind wheels, automobile gearboxes and aircraft transmission systems. Rotary actuators can achieve higher precision rotational movement and effectively improve the performance of mechanical equipment.
Linear actuators: They are more suitable for precision instruments, meters and multi-axis mobile machinery in industrial control systems, especially in situations where high-precision linear motion is required, such as channel movement, laser micro-cutting, precision adjustment, laser positioning, etc.
3. Accuracy
The accuracy of rotary actuators is generally higher, but slightly lower than that of linear actuators, usually in the range of 10~30 microns.
Linear actuators have higher accuracy, which can reach 5~10 microns, which makes them more advantageous in applications that require extremely high precision.
4. Drive mode
Rotary actuators: There are various drive modes, including mechanical drives, instrument controllers, electric motors, piston drives, etc. These drive modes enable rotary actuators to adapt to different working environments and needs.
Linear actuators: They also have a variety of drive modes, such as DC motors, stepper motors, mechanical drives, etc. These drive modes ensure the stability and reliability of linear actuators in linear motion.
5. Structure and type
Rotary actuators: They are composed of main components such as motors, reducers and encoders. The motors may use servo motors or stepper motors, and the reducers use high-precision gear reduction.
Types of rotary actuators include cam couplings, slide valve types, vibration drives, piston types, and hydraulic drives.
Linear actuators: Mainly composed of linear motors, transmission mechanisms, and position sensors. The linear motor is the core component responsible for converting electrical energy into linear motion.
The transmission mechanism transmits the motion of the linear motor to the actuator to complete the predetermined action.
The position sensor is used to feedback the position information of the actuator to achieve accurate control. Types of linear actuators include slider type, slide type, roller type, slip ring type, etc.
In summary, there are significant differences between rotary actuators and linear actuators in terms of working principles, dynamic characteristics, uses, precision, drive methods, structures, and types.
These differences make them each play a unique role in different application fields.