Role of Actuators in Enabling Industrial Automation Functions

Today, industries rely on automated machinery/processes than other manual (mechanized) systems. Automation – a word originated from ancient Greek words of Auto (means self) Matos (means moving) – results in highly efficient manufacturing or production processes. Automated equipment offers superior performance, whilst helping to minimize dangerous assembly and industrial processes requiring human intervention. Actuators have played a key role in the functioning of automated devices. This post discusses the importance of these devices in detail.

Why Actuators are used in Automation Functions?

With the increasing utilization of automated machinery/systems, there has also been a rise in the demands for actuators, which play a play a vital role in the automation process. Actuators, which are responsible for moving, controlling or positioning a mechanism or system, make the working of automated equipment seamless and easy. There are several types of actuators available with different stroke, speed, shape, size and capacity to best suit the application or in other words, to make the best actuation possible.
Let us now examine a few industries wherein actuators play a crucial role in automated systems to simplify processes which were once done manually.

• Solar: The industry utilizes several types of actuators including ball screw and ACME actuators to automate the functioning of various solar tracking devices, solar power concentration equipment, photovoltaic device, and photovoltaic concentration equipment, among several others. Thus, solar actuators play a vital role in solar energy generation by providing desired motion to the equipment used.
• Military: Actuators for the military industries are ruggedly built to withstand harsh environmental conditions, extreme weathers, and severe attacks. These military actuators are basically equipped in tanks, cannon carriers, airplanes, fighter planes, helicopters, ships, and robots, because they offer complete movement.
• Satellite: The industry has swiftly switched from mechanization to automation. The use of several linear and rotational actuators help automate the working of several equipment. These include dish antennas, sensors, earth-imaging equipment, and so on. Specially designed and high quality satellite actuators are sought after for precise positioning and motion control for the industry.
• Construction: The industry depends on high speed automated machines/systems to carry out several dangerous and tedious tasks. Actuators of varied types are used in these systems, because they are known to delivering powerful movements to heavy duty machineries like loading trucks, towing trucks, and cranes. Actuators for the construction industry are built to offer durable, reliable and long-lasting performance.
• Warehouse: Modern day warehouses rely on the highly advanced automated systems to optimize logistics management, and related activities. A wide range of actuators are being used in the making of robotic systems, conveyor units, forklift units, among others to provide superior performance in terms of precision, power and speed of operation. Actuators for warehouse are designed to thrive in rugged environments and extreme conditions.

Besides the aforesaid industries, actuators help to automate several processes and systems in agricultural, food, medical, nuclear, automotive, manufacturing, arts and entertainment, and transportation industries
Being a critical element in every actuation system, actuators are being produced in several specifications by huge numbers of manufactures. Here comes the selection of the right manufacturer becomes crucial. To get the best performance out of the actuators, it is important that they must be manufactured to the highest quality standards keeping in mind the specific automation requirements of the industries. This calls for the importance of partnering only with the leading manufactures in the industry. Venture Mfg. Co. is a trusted name when it comes to manufacturing good quality linear actuators for various automation applications across industries.