Pneumatic linear actuators use compressed air from an external compressor to move the piston inside the cylinder. As the pressure increases, the cylinder moves along the axis of the piston, creating a linear force. 

While the main advantage of pneumatic actuators is their high force density and small footprint, below are some disadvantages related to the use of pneumatic actuators:

• Pneumatic actuators must be selected and calibrated for each specific application and require additional controllers and valves, increasing implementation costs and complexity.
• Pneumatic actuators require external air compressors that take up a lot of space.
• Pneumatic actuators require specialised labour to manually maintain constant pressure and avoid performance degradation or machine downtime due to temperature, pressure, dust, and humidity fluctuations.
• Air compressors must constantly run at operating pressure, even when nothing is moving.
• The limited supply of compressed air causes work to be performed at lower pressure with less force and slower speed. 
• Compressed air is susceptible to contamination from oil or lubricants, resulting in downtime and maintenance. 
• Compressed air is a consumable, and the compressor and lines require frequent maintenance, which increases costs.

Hydraulic linear actuators work similarly to pneumatic actuators, but instead of compressed air, an incompressible fluid from a pump moves the piston inside the cylinder.

Although they are much more efficient than pneumatic and traditional electric actuators, hydraulic actuators leak, resulting in lower efficiency and cleanliness issues, which in turn can cause damage to surrounding components and areas.

In addition, hydraulic actuators require many complementary parts, including a fluid reservoir, motor, pump, drain valves, and heat exchangers, as well as noise reduction devices that significantly increase the cost of their implementation.

Electric linear actuators use a mechanically connected electric motor to turn a threaded spindle. A threaded nut or ball nut with corresponding threads to those of the screw is prevented from rotating with the screw. As the spindle rotates, the nut is carried along the thread. The direction in which the nut moves depends on the direction in which the spindle rotates, and also returns the actuator to its original position.

Here are some disadvantages related to the sue of traditional electric actuators:

• Due to the rotating to linear mechanism, the movement is rather slow and is in the range of 10 to 100 mm/s.
• Lifespan limitation due to wearing of the lead screw and nut.
• Frequent lubrication of the gears is required.
• A constantly running motor will overheat, increasing wear on the reduction gear. The motor can also be large and cause installation problems.
• The selected motor fixes the force, thrust and speed limits of the drive to a fixed setting. If other values of force, thrust and speed are desired, the motor must be replaced.

In contrast, KOMP-ACT direct drive actuators and linear motors’ movement is provided by an electromagnetic interaction between the iron core stator containing the coils and the rotor containing the permanent magnets. 

Here are some of their main advantages:

• Fast speed 2 m/sec., high cycle rate from 300 to 1,500 cycles/min depending on stroke. 
• Superior positioning accuracy (better than pneumatics).
• The iron core stator is a 24 or 48 V three-phase stator to allow easy conversion to machines already using a 24 or 48 V power supply. In addition, 24 or 48 V is a low voltage that poses little risk to operators.
• Compared to ironless technology, the tubular stator with iron core allows higher power density and better heat dissipation, which translates into higher motion dynamics (speed and number of cycles).
• The product footprint is also smaller and more efficient thanks to the lower ohmic resistance of the coils.
• To modulate the electromagnetic interactions between the 3-phase stator and the rotor, a controller is required to control the current induced in the 3-phases according to the position detected by the integrated magnetic encoder.
• To save space and cost, each electronic controller can operate 2 actuators simultaneously and independently via an end-user software interface that can be accessed by any Windows-based computer by simply entering the IP address. 
• Fast setup within minutes, with no additional accessories or complex coding required.

Unlike most grippers that use electromechanical force, KOMP-ACT grippers use integrated linear motors that provide greater force and faster maneuverability. In addition, the absence of mechanics makes the fingers particularly small and light, similar to a pneumatic gripper.

No, our actuators are linear motors.

Linear motors are often classified as ironless or iron-cored, referring to the type of construction of their primary parts. In ironless linear motors, the primary consists of windings embedded in epoxy resin. In iron-cored linear motors, the windings are mounted in an iron laminated core.

To test KOMP-ACT products, a KOMP-ACT Demo Kit is available for sale at: www.komp-act.com/demo-kit for the special price of $999. The demo kit includes

KOMP-ACT products are sold through a network of authorized distributors worldwide. To find an authorized distributor near you, visit www.komp-act.com/distributors.

Pricing for KOMP-ACT products is not listed online. To obtain a price list, please contact an authorized distributor near you at www.komp-act.com/distributors.

KOMP-ACT products can be shipped worldwide.

All KOMP-ACT products are precision-designed, engineered and manufactured in Switzerland.

Any machine equipped with digital input/ouput Programmable Logic Controller (or “PLC”) can be retrofitted with our actuators. Compatible PLC brands include:

• Siemens
• Rockwell Automation
• Allen Bradley 
• Mitsubishi Electric
• Schneider Electric
• ABB
• Honeywell Process 
• Omron
• Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems
• IDEC
• B&R Industrial Automation
• Bosch Rexroth
• Koyo Electronics Industries
• Delta
• Eaton
• Keyence
• LS Electric
• Panasonic
• Phoenix Contact
• Pilz
• WAGO Kontakttechnik
• Yokogawa Electric
• Toshiba

KOMP-ACT electric actuators can reduce up to 95% of energy expenses related to the op traditional pneumatic actuators.