Olsen Actuators is the UK's leading provider of linear actuator solutions and the exclusive UK distributor for Exlar actuators from Curtiss-Wright and LinX® actuators from ANCA Motors. Established in 2004, the company's products and services extend beyond components to include the customisation and integration of electromechanical systems. Its range of linear actuators represents the benchmark for the industry.

What are Servo Linear Actuators?

The word 'servo' is an abbreviation of servomechanism, a device which uses error-sensing negative feedback to regulate and correct the action of a mechanism. Servo motor linear actuators are used to perform high-precision movement of a machine's component parts, primarily by rotating or pushing them. They consist of three essential elements, a controlled device, an output sensor and a feedback system.

Servo drive linear actuators are automatic closed-loop control systems which control devices not with a variable input signal but through the use of a feedback signal which is generated by comparing the reference input signal and output signal. The third signal produced by this process acts as the input signal of the device that is to be controlled and persists for as long as there remains a logical difference between the reference input signal and the output signal. The main function of a servomechanism is to maintain the output of a system at the required level.

What are Servo Motor Linear Actuators Used For?

The applications for servo linear actuators are extremely varied. We find them in machines of every shape and size, from simple toy and home electronics applications to complex and challenging automobile and aviation controls. They are vital to the defence, construction, energy and manufacturing industries in a wide range of applications. Radio-controlled drones and vehicles rely on servo-drive linear actuators to adjust their levers and steering controls, while in cars and planes, they can be used to regulate speed through a rotating shaft connected to the throttle. Even our computers depend on small servo motor linear actuators to operate the hard drive head arms.

The list of possible applications for servo motor linear actuators is virtually endless. They are one of the most essential components in any kind of electrical machinery.

Olsen Actuators

The first supplier to turn to when you need a dependable, high-quality actuator is Olsen Actuators. Our extensive collection of servo linear actuators, ranging from 600N to 55kN, includes integrated servo motors housed around linear actuators. Olsen Actuators offer this design to provide maximum power and efficiency in compact packages which neatly match the footprints of their hydraulic and pneumatic counterparts. Models produced by their competitors are frequently cumbersome, requiring the actuator to be fitted with a servo drive either on the top or to the rear. Olsen Actuators’ range allow the motor to be housed around the actuator, reducing space and maintaining the profile of fluid powered technologies. This design is also ergonomic, reliable and powerful.

Olsen Actuators range of servo motor linear actuators have several unique properties. They are powerful and robust, providing an ideal replacement for hydraulic fluid power. They are compact, with high dynamic acceleration, which means they can handle heavy loads and high speeds with impressive durability. The linear motion of their actuators is smooth, accurate and programmable, making it possible to synchronise them with exceptional precision to the armature rotation.

Choosing the Right Actuator

Actuators receive their commands from a series of pulses from a motion controller, generally a computer or radio mechanism. A pulse moves from low to high voltage, remaining at the upper level for a relatively short time before returning to low voltage. Naturally, they require a constant source of power, but the requirements of each model will vary.

To determine the right model for the requirements of your application, you need to assess the necessary speed for the servo to rotate between positions, how much power it needs to exert and whether there is any margin for overshoot. If you opt for one of the cheaper servos available, you'll find they have limited mechanical power and less precision. More sophisticated servos, like those supplied by Olsen Actuators, may be a little more expensive but this is more than compensated for by their greater speed, their capacity to push or pull larger loads and their significantly better precision, often with an accuracy of less than 1 micron.

Olsen Actuators is able to supply standard models, but where these are not sufficient, we can provide actuators that are customised to the client's specifications. Olsen Actuators are the exclusive suppliers in the UK of Exlar Electric Roller Screw actuators, ANCA Motion’s LinX® Linear Motors and Macron Motion’s Gantry Systems. Their products are the best in class and deliver exceptional, consistent performance.

What can Olsen's Servo Linear Actuators do?

• Ideal hydraulic fluid power replacement
• Powerful and robust
• Very High Dynamic acceleration
• Compact size
• Heavy Loads, High Speeds, Long Life
• Smooth, accurate and programmable linear motion that is precisely synchronized with the armature rotation
• Larger contact surface accommodates heavier loads at higher speeds, resulting in much longer life.
• Integrated brushless servo motor and linear rod-style actuator in a single compact unit
• Designed for closed-loop servo systems
• Sealed housing for extended life and minimum maintenance
• Configurable for use with almost every brand of servo drive