Does the stroke of the linear actuators need to be limited?
Yes – these industrial type actuators are not designed to be run into their internal limits and damage may occur. The use of limit switches that turn off the motor is recommended there are several alternatives. – fit limit switches to an external mechanism – small actuators type LMR & CLA have integral limit switches – fit magnetic read switches to the linear actuator. These fit around the outer tube and sense position from a magnet that travels with the push rod. They are easy to adjust – use an external limit switch device build onto the actuator. This is a standard option for ATL actuators and is described on page 94 of our Servomech catalogue download. – with larger actuators use inductive proximity switches. These can be more economic for large actuators but are not adjustable. High speed actuators may overrun limit switch position and an encoder position feedback should be considered If there is a probability of external loads causing the actuator to jam mid-stroke, the use of a
