What is the maximum and minimum linear speed of an industrial actuator?

Let’s assume we are designing using a lead screw vs hydraulic or pneumatic actuators. The linear speed a linear actuator is capable of is based on a few variables:

Load

What is the mass of the load that is being accelerated and decelerated?

Lead Screw Efficiency/Friction

How effective is the system of translating a high percentage of the linear movement to the commanded position?

Lead or Pitch of the Screw

A high-resolution screw will require the motor to spin much faster to attain faster linear velocity. There is always a tradeoff between the load and the velocity the system can achieve.

Vertical or Horizontal Orientation

In a vertical orientation, the motor and the system has to overcome the drag of gravity.

Motor Torque Capability

The more torque the motor along with how fast the motor can spin is a major component of how fast the system is capable of moving from point A to point B.

Belt or Screw Drive

Belt drive can move much faster but tend to be reserved for light loads because acceleration and deceleration inertia has to be carefully managed in the system.

Servo or Stepper Motor

A servo motor in many cases can provide higher speeds than a stepper motor, but a stepper motor has higher starting torque capability.

Whether to use a servo or a stepper motor is usually dictated by the loads and speeds that the system requires for the application.

For more information about the maximum and minimum linear speed of an industrial actuator, stepper motor linear actuators, or to discuss your needs for your specific application, please contact our team.