What Is The Difference Between An Electric Cylinder And Linear Actuator?

What Is The Difference Between An Electric Cylinder And Linear Actuator


Linear actuator and electric cylinders are devices that convert the rotary motion of the motor into linear reciprocating motion. Both have the same principle and similar structure.


General Speaking

Push rod: small thrust, simple push and pull (no positioning function), speed should not be too fast, DC motor is used, the transmission part of the small push rod is a plastic gear, and the transmission part of the high thrust push rod is a worm gear.


Servo electric cylinder: can be accurately positioned, can use DC or AC power. Thrust range is great. The transmission part is generally directly connected by the transmission belt and the coupling. long lasting. Servo electric cylinder has a variety of control modes (speed mode, position mode, torque mode), which can be selected according to needs.


Push rods are commonly used in consumer products. Electric cylinders are used in a wide range of applications: aerospace, simulation, robotics, mechanical lift platforms, automotive industry, industrial automation equipment, etc. It can also be seen that the electric push rod of the servo electric cylinder is obviously different.


1. Structure

The nut in the electric push rod of Wuxi Delke Machinery is an ordinary nut, and the internal structure has a large gap. Most of the motors used are AC and DC motors, which have low repetitive positioning accuracy and short service life;


The structure of the electric cylinder is a screw structure. The electric cylinder adopts servo motor or stepper motor, and its internal junction gap is almost zero. Therefore, the electric cylinder has high repeated positioning accuracy, wide application range and long life (full stroke). up to 100,000 km or more).


2. Accuracy:

AC electric actuator accuracy: 0.2mm, DC electric actuator accuracy: 1-2mm

Electric cylinder accuracy: 0.01-0.02mm


3. Material Selection

Electric push rod is composed of ordinary trapezoidal screw and ball screw, usually connected to gear motor, turbine rod, etc., and the efficiency is relatively low;


Servo electric cylinders are usually composed of ball screws and planetary ball screws, which are directly coupled with the motor or synchronously connected with the pulley, and are very fast and efficient.


4. Speed:

The speed of the electric push rod is generally <100mm/s

Electric cylinder can reach a speed of 2m/s


5. Control

The electric push rod can only control the zero point and the end of the stroke;

Electric cylinders can be started and stopped at any position.


6. Thrust

The electric push rod mainly realizes the push-pull effect, and the thrust is basically difficult to exceed 10 tons;


Electric cylinders, such as servo electric cylinders, have a thrust of 35 tons or more.


To sum up, the electric push rod has simple structure, small thrust, low working system, simple control program and low price. It is used as an executive machine in various simple or complex technological processes; electric cylinders, especially servo electric cylinders, generally have a large thrust. Large stroke, accurate speed, position control, fast speed, higher price than push rod, more widely used


Ningbo Beilun Jointway Leader Machinery Co., Ltd is a professional linear actuator manufacturers, if you want to know more, please click the official website to contact us, we are willing to answer more for you