Linear actuators are basic building blocks as manufacturing automation equipment. The linear actuator directs a force that it receives from another device into a straight line in order to perform a task. If the actuator is powered by electricity, it will turn that force into a straight line force. That is very straightforward. If the actuator is powered by hydraulics, it will do the same thing with the power, convert it into a straight line. There are different of sources of power for the linear actuator that is used as manufacturing automation equipment. Driving power from pneumatics, electricity, or hydraulics are the sources. The selection of any one of these sources is usually dictated by the type of application in which it will be employed, the budget for the application, and the performance required.
Hydraulic power for the linear actuator is a good choice if the application requires great force to complete tasks. This might be the case if the actuator is used in the assembly process as manufacturing automation equipment that requires for some part to be pressed into another part with great force. It could also be used in a drilling operation when a drill press has been automated to drill holes in very hard surfaces. Hydraulics can be very noisy and sometimes leak hydraulic fluid, so the environment would need to be able to handle this. Beside that hydraulics are very tough and can work in very demanding environments as manufacturing automation equipment.
Linear actuators that are electrically driven, mostly by rotary motors, are usually more difficult to install and maintain, but are used in a lot of cases where there is a complex motion control application that is needs to be implemented. The conversion of power from the motor to linear is done using either a belt drive, a lead screw, a roller screw, or a ball screw in the manufacturing automation equipment. Ball screws are used in a lot of cases because they can generate a high speed with a shorter stoke of the actuator. These can be very precise in location.