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Introducing Our New Range of Modular Lifting Columns
Nathan Bong
In many applications, electric lifting columns are the perfect solution for driving linear motion...
Tractor Front Loader Quick Release Locks by Chris Bolich
Nathan Bong
In agriculture, there are always new solutions being discovered and used to help boost efficiency...
Furniture Actuators: Where To Find Them and How They Work
Nathan Bong
Linear actuators can be found in many different appliances and machinery, but one of the most pre...
Wheelchair Trailer Project Using PA-HD1 & PA-17 Actuators
Mobility limitations in a wheelchair can present challenges for individuals getting around town. David Padgett, a quadriplegic who uses a power wheelchair for daily mobility, needed a solution that was both functional and visually compelling. He set out to build a custom wheelchair trailer capable of securely transporting his chair while maintaining a compact height suitable for hospital parking garages. In this article, we will highlight his ...
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Designing for Improved Care: Innovations and Features in Medical Tables
In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, the design of medical tables plays a crucial role in influencing patient outcomes. These tables serve as more than just instruments; they are the essential base for effective diagnosis, treatment, and recovery processes. As the emphasis on patient comfort and safety grows, the importance of ergonomic and practical design in medical tables becomes increasingly significant. This article explores the key...
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Common Pitfalls in Selecting Off-Highway Vehicle Actuators and How to Avoid Them
Choosing the right actuator for off-road vehicles is essential for maintaining longevity, effectiveness, and optimal performance. Using an incompatible actuator may result in mechanical failures, accelerated wear, and subpar efficiency, all of which can detrimentally affect the vehicle's overall functionality. By recognizing the challenges associated with choosing actuators, both vehicle owners and engineers can make better-informed choices. I...
Author Title:Content Copywriter|energy-sustainability|industrial-automation|material-handling-loading|mechanical-systems|safety-traffic
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Adjustable Torch System Using The PA-01 Linear Actuator
In wildfire management, few tools are as essential—and as potentially hazardous—as the drip torch. Drip torches are used to start controlled fires safely during prescribed burns to manage forest fuel loads and help prevent uncontrolled wildfires, however, even these essential tools can be improved. That’s exactly what our customer, Ricky Heflin, set out to do when he designed his adjustable torch system using our PA-01 Linear Actuator. In this...
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Custom-built Conference Table For Turtlebox Audio Using LG-11
In the world of custom furniture, innovation often arises from a combination of inspiration and problem-solving. For Ryan Wilson of Wilson Custom Designs (@wilsoncustomdesigns), a chance discovery of Progressive Automations set the stage for an extraordinary project—an awe-inspiring conference table for Turtlebox Audio. This table, which seamlessly integrates a hidden speaker lift system into a reclaimed cypress slab, is a true testament to cr...
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Common Mistakes in Selecting Actuators for Home Beds
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in demand for locally made adjustable beds, as customers seek enhanced comfort and convenience. These innovative designs use actuators to adjust the bed's position, improving sleep quality and user convenience. However, choosing the appropriate actuator can be challenging due to various technical and practical considerations.
This guide helps automotive and technical professionals avoid ty...
Author Title:Content Copywriter|consumer-products|home-furniture
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Safety Factors When Choosing an Actuator for Vehicle Automation
Vehicle automation is rapidly transforming B2B industries such as agriculture, construction, and logistics, driving efficiency and productivity. At the core of this transformation, actuators enable precise control over mechanical movements, making them essential in vehicle automation. However, selecting the right actuator is crucial for ensuring safety, reliability, and long-term actuator performance. This article explores the key safety facto...
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From Slide-Outs to Skylights: Daily Use Applications of Actuators in RV Design
The recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturing industry is currently experiencing a crucial technological turning point with the rise of automation.
The actuator is the key component that enhances comfort and introduces innovative features in recreational vehicles. From creating more living space with slide-out mechanisms to automating skylights and ventilation systems, actuators in RVs play a substantial role in improving the user experience. Be...
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Our PA-09 Mini Industrial Actuator - Versatile & Compact Design
If you have an industrial application that requires a small, rugged, and powerful electric mini industrial actuator, look no further. Our PA-09 Mini Industrial Actuator comes in a deceptively small package but it is powerful for its size. This actuator is designed to be tough with durable materials used to construct its body in a compact design that offers protection against harsh environmental conditions. With all these features, this mini li...
12v Actuators|Actuator|Mini Actuators
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Engineering Career Progression Webinar: Insights with Mike Senna
In an insightful webinar hosted by Progressive Automations, we are proud to have Mike Senna, a renowned robotics innovator and engineering mentor as our guest speaker. Senna, well-known for creating iconic robots such as Wall-E, R2-D2, and BB-8, shared his experiences, career lessons, and key principles that aspiring engineers should adopt for success. This article encapsulates the valuable insights from the webinar, touching on skill developm...
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Motorized Louvered Roof Pergola Upgrade with PA-10 Actuators
Motorized louvered roofs offer a convenient and efficient way of making accurate adjustments, positions, and tilt angles for outdoor pergolas spaces. Linear actuators are commonly used as the drive mechanism for the motion that adjusts the louvers according to a user’s preference for airflow, sunlight, and rain cover. While the aesthetic enhancements and functional benefits are something many enjoy, the actuators will eventually require replac...
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Top Secrets Home Automation Manufacturers Don't Know: The Role of Actuators
In the era of smart homes, most people focus on sleek designs and advanced automation. We’re impressed by voice-activated lights, blinds that open at sunrise, and home theaters that pop up with the press of a button. But behind all this convenience is something many overlook — the actuator. Linear motion products power the movements and functions that make automated home systems run smoothly. Today, we'll take a closer look at actuators and wh...
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ATV Dozer Blade and Bucket Loader Combo with PA-17 Actuators
Dozer blades and bucket loaders often require heavy-duty components to maintain optimal efficiency and operations in harsh conditions. One of our customers, Shawn, uses his ATV Dozer Blade and Bucket Loader Combo system with our PA-17 heavy duty linear actuators to enhance versatility and efficiency. This combination allows for maintaining snow parks, tubing chutes, and cross-country ski trails in the Montreal region during winter and excavati...
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An Introduction To Actuators: Part II
Learn everything you need to know about linear actuators. Last time we talked about the basic definition and uses of simple actuators, and introduced the concept of the electric linear actuator (screw-based). To review, a linear actuator is called such because it transforms energy into a linear direction; that is, straight back and forth. This is valuable because most actuators derive their motive force from a rotational source, such as a gear...
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Introducing Our New LG-11 and LG-13 Modular Lifting Columns
Many applications that require a drive system for linear motion utilize electric lifting columns as they offer versatile performance capabilities, smooth operations, and safety features. To keep up with customer demands and the rising growth of new project ideas, our team continues to develop, innovate, and release new lifting column designs in various shapes and sizes that can meet your needs. In this article, we will be covering the overview...
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An Introduction To Actuators
An actuator is a motor that transfers energy from whatever is powering it into motion. This explanation may sound simplistic, but at heart, that's what it does. Within that simplicity lies a great deal of utility; the majority of modern devices that involve motion of any kind could not exist without these components. For example:
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Browse our large range of electric linear actuators, from micro to industrial sizes!
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Feedback Linear Actuators: Popular Uses and Applications
Electric linear actuators with positional feedback electronics are capable of performing some impressive moves within various applications. But what exactly is a linear actuator with feedback and what are some example applications where they have been used to their full potential? In this article, we will dive into the specifics of feedback actuators and run through a few example applications such as an automated window, a human powered vehicl...
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Before and After: How Electric Linear Actuators Are Transforming Excavator Design
Imagine excavators as the powerhouse tools of construction, tirelessly moving earth and materials. For decades, these machines depended on hydraulic systems, a tried-and-true technology that powered their heavy lifting. But as industries demanded more — greater precision, reduced costs, and environmental accountability — a new era of design was born.
This “before and after” story illustrates how modern excavator technology has leaped forward,...
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Improving Boating Safety with Linear Motion in Marine Technology
Marine technology has advanced significantly over the years, contributing to enhanced safety measures that allow clients to enjoy maritime journeys with peace of mind. Among these technological innovations, linear motion systems with marine actuators have emerged to improve boating safety as a top priority of any marine technology. This article covers how marine actuators in linear motion solutions play a pivotal role in marine technology, enh...
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Comparing Technologies: Optical Encoders VS Hall Effect Sensors
When properly implemented, positional feedback can allow multiple actuators to move together synchronously, use preset memory positions, and travel with higher accuracy and precision. Both optical encoders and hall effect sensors are popular for reading the positional feedback of a motor with good accuracy; however, each feedback option offers different benefits that can favor certain applications more than others. This article will compare th...
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Top Actuator Tips for Design Engineers - Choosing the Right Electric Linear Actuator
Finding the most suitable electric linear actuator for your application can be challenging, especially when there are so many different variables to consider. Knowing your application requirements and having a detailed understanding of the available actuator solutions and their capabilities is critical during the designing stages of a project. This is because choosing the best linear actuator for a specific use case will ensure optimal operat...
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The Evolution of Automation
Throughout the history of automation, the emergence of newer techniques, processes and machines eventually shaped a path for automation to play a larger role in our society. The main goals for the evolution of automation in everyday life has been to help improve efficiency, productivity, safety, and convenience. In this article, we will cover the history of industrial automation to gain a better understanding of how the different stages of aut...
12v Actuators|Actuator|Home Automation
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Are Linear Actuators Expensive & Are Quality Actuators Worth the Investment?
Are you in the market for a new linear actuator to use in your next project? If so, you may want to consider the factors affecting the price of a linear actuator. Purchasing cheap actuators is not a good idea if you want your project to last the distance, but purchasing overly expensive actuators may also not be worth your full investment.
Finding the right balance between cost/affordability and quality can be tricky since various factors affe...
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Our Customer's Top 5 Most Interesting Homemade Projects Using Automation
Automation can be found nearly everywhere we go because of all the comfort, convenience, safety, and operational efficiency it offers to society. With all the benefits automation has to offer, many have decided to make use of this technology in their homemade projects. If you needed some actuator DIY project ideas before going out to buy a linear actuator for a project, you’ve came to the right place! This article will cover our customer's top...
12v Actuators|Actuator|actuator project|article_time: 5.2|related_heading: Top 5 Homemade Projects
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How Linear Actuators Can Be Used in Escape Rooms
We have seen linear actuators used in various fun and exciting applications, with one of the most interesting being their use in escape rooms. Escape rooms have been appearing all over the world, from fixed locations to pop-up rooms. There are over 5000 escape rooms worldwide, which is estimated to increase over the next several years. Each new room iteration is becoming more and more tech-savvy with sensors, lasers, and linear actuators!
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12v Actuators|Actuator
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The Internet of Things and Linear Actuators
The Internet of Things is something that has been growing in the public eye for the past half-decade or so. It is mostly seen as the next logical step from home automation which has been extremely popular. We are only now beginning to understand the application of the Internet of Things, as the connectivity which it implies has the potential to change almost everything we do. Being connected to our homes is one thing but being connected to som...
12v Actuators|Actuator|Linear Actuator|Micro Linear Actuators|Robot Arms|Robotics|robots
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Comparison Table of Industrial Linear Actuators
Linear actuators come in various sizes. The most commonly used is the industrial actuators with a high stroke, force, and speed. Although there are, lighter ones for home use. Industrial actuators assist in keeping workers safe and aid in heavy-duty tasks in factories, manufacturing plants, and construction.
Although there are currently manufacturers with different models, common ones stand out. Let’s go ahead and break them down to find out ...
Actuator|Linear Actuators|Progressive Automations
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Linear Actuators vs Rotary Motors in Ventilation Systems
In an ever-changing world of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, innovations continue to emerge, improving efficiency, control, and energy use. Two such pivotal components in automated ventilation systems are linear actuators and rotary motors. Each plays a crucial role in controlling airflow and optimizing the climate within buildings. In this article, we will highlight critical details of linear actuators and rotary mo...
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5 Festive Automation Ideas for the Holiday Season
Christmas is around the corner, which means we have entered the festive season. What better way to celebrate this time of the year with some automation projects that will boost your Christmassy spirit – from a motorized Christmas tree to an animatronic figure, Progressive Automations will help you out. Let us get straight into 5 festive automation ideas to incorporate into your holiday season.
1. Motorized Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree can e...
12v Actuators|Actuator|actuator project|Applications|DIY|Electric Actuators|japanesstyle|kitchen automation|lifting columns|Linear Actuator|table lift|Tv Lift
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Most Human-Like Robots
Modern robotic technologies is an extremely dynamic branch of science, that develops rapidly and brings interesting break-through innovations almost every year. Robots are commonly used in our day to life to do all sorts of things. Human-like machines are implemented everywhere from medicine to householding and manufacturing. These robots can vary in their characteristics, functions, and outlook; some of them range from rather primal and simpl...
Robot Arms|Robotics|robots|Surgical robots
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How Robots for Your Home Change Your Life
Smart home robots have made great advancements in the past several years, ushering in a new wave of robots for home use. Hollywood has been showing robots working shoulder to shoulder with humans since the Jetsons in the early 1960’s. While Rosey the robot maid is not yet reality, it can't be denied that today's technology is bringing us closer and closer to having robots in your home, and in your workplace.
According to recent research by ABI...
Automation|Home Automation|Linear Actuator|Progressive Automations|Robotics|robots
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Robotic Systems Help People with Disabilities
Robotics are paving the way for automation; even wheelchairs are no longer missing the race towards making a better future for the disabled. These days, robots are no longer just a mass of hardware; instead, they have been designed to reflect and work on algorithms, making them smarter and better than just pieces of metal.
Robotic assistance devices are springing up all over the world, promising to change the façade of the technological gamut....
Assistive robots|Automation|Linear Motion|medical robots|Surgical robots|Technology
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ATX West 2020 Trade Show
Progressive Automations just got back from the ATX West show. This trade show and conference are located at the Anaheim convention center in the beautiful and always sunny Anaheim, California – home of Disneyland.
The ATX West show is USA’s largest annual automation technology event which showcases motion control products, motors, and drives, sensors, and detectors, machine components.
As a leading linear actuator manufacturing company, Progr...
Actuator|Automation|General|Linear Actuator|Progressive Automations
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Robotic Process Automation (RPA) - All you need to Know
Automated robotics might be the next best thing of the future; the moment you identify a process that is repetitive and predictable, chances are it can qualify for an automotive makeover using Robotic Process Automation. However, the process of identification and implementation is not as simple as it seems. For this very reason, it is very important to understand what robotics process automation is about and what it entails in the real world.
...
Automation|Linear ctuators|Robotic Process Automation|Robotics|RPA Solutions
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What you should know about Developments in Robotic Grippers
As robots become more and more popular in industrial, commercial and other sectors, there is a renewed interest in developing grippers that can assist in various tasks. This is more so in the case of collaborative robots that may be required to do more than one task and hence requires the dexterity and grip to hold different types of objects.
Vacuum, magnetic, claw, rotary and parallel grippers have become quite common in the market due to the...
Featured|Linear Actuator|Robot Arms|Robotic Grips
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People Make a House, a Home, Robots Make it a Smart Home
As the concept of home automation continues to become more and more popular, robots for smart homes are seeing a tremendous rise in demand. According to the research firm MarketsandMarkets, the market for household robots is set to grow at a CAGR of 22.4 percent from 2019 to 2024. Several companies, from startups to tech giants are coming up with robots of various sizes and shapes that can perform several functions within the house to make you...
Automated|Automation|Control System|Linear Actuator|Microcontrollers|Smart Home
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5 ways Agricultural Robots may Replace Farmers
Somewhere in a strawberry farm in Florida, operations of a robot that can detect ripe berries, pick, and pack them are in a trial stage. It works faster than human hands, with more precision and, obviously, without getting tired.
Such robots have begun to make inroads into other areas of agriculture as well, which has often been considered one of the least technology-reliant sectors. According to the research firm Mordor Intelligence, the mark...
12v actuators for tractors|Actuator|agriculture|Automated|Automation|Linear Actuator|News|robots
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Automate 2019: The Future of Automation Under One Roof
Progressive Automations at Automate 2019
The world of automation has entered a stage where highly advanced robotic tools are used to streamline, expedite, and improve manufacturing processes to an unprecedented level. Last week our team at Progressive Automations exhibited our innovative linear motion products at the Automate and Promat show in the vibrant and energetic city of Chicago, IL, USA.
From traditional industrial applications to cutt...
Automate|Featured|Linear Actuator|Products|Promat|Robotics
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Innovating Aerospace: Progressive Automations in Aerospace Manufacturing & Design Magazine
Progressive Automations was featured in the Aerospace Manufacturing & Design Magazine. This article was authored by Ajay Arora, Director of Research and Development at Progressive Automations
Since linear actuators entered into the aerospace industry, manufacturers have been able to push, pull, and hold objects in a way that our bodies cannot. By converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, linear actuators allow jobs to be c...
Aerospace Magazine|Coverage|Featured|News|Press
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What’s Cooking, Robot?
Virginia wolf rightly said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.”
Have you found yourself waiting for several minutes at a restaurant before your food turns up? And sometimes, when you do get your food it doesn’t taste the way you expected it to? Well, with a lot of work and very little time in hand, chefs and restaurateurs are finding it hard to meet the increasing demand. It’s in times like this, that kitc...
Kitchen Robots|Kitchenautomation|Robotics
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5 Trends to Expect in Package Delivery Robots
What if you could substantially cut down the last-mile delivery costs of your e-commerce business? What if you could considerably increase the number of options you have to get your products to the customer? What if, robots could actually deliver your products to the customer’s homes?
These are the questions that several robotic solution providers across the globe are currently asking their customers. Many cities already have slow-moving box-s...
automated delivery system|delivery robots|Featured|robot delivery service|robots
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What to consider before automating your factory
Much has already been said about the advantages of factory automation. If you are a factory owner or someone from the manufacturing sector, you would already have read several hundred web pages that explain benefits like improved productivity, reduction of waste, lower cycle time, better floor utilization, etc.
You are almost convinced that your factory should be automated. You may have even come up with an estimate of by how much this would b...
Automation|Electric|factory automation|Feedback Linear Actuators|Home Automation|Linear Actuators|Products
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The Future of Robots in the Security Sector
In 2013, when a company co-founded by a former police officer after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting incident came up with a 400-pound robot to patrol crowded areas, there were many concerns on how it would turn out. In fact, some of the initial attempts at employing Knightscope’s K5 robot at malls and other public places were disappointing, with one robot running over a toddler’s leg and another falling into a water fountain.
But such incident...
Automation|News|Progressive Automations|Remote controlled|robots|Security Robots
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Progressive Automations at Comic-Con 2018, LA
Michael McMaster and Mike Senna are at it again! They have been two of our most valued customers for years now because of the amazing robots they have built using our actuators. The robots have been such a success that they are being invited to Comic-Con conventions in North America for the last couple of years to show off their builds. One such convention is LA Comic-Con, which has invited them back multiple years in a row because of how popu...
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Progressive Automations at Disneys D23 Expo
The bi-annual D23 Expo has been one of the most popular and fan-friendly conventions in the world since it first started in 2009. It was created to give fans an inside look at the magic of Disney and exclusive first looks at upcoming attractions, films, and presentations celebrating arguably the most beloved and acclaimed entertainment studio of all time. We were lucky enough to be a part of this year's expo with the help of two of our most va...
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The 2015 Vancouver Mini Maker Faire
Engineers, hobbyists, and inventors of all ages were present at the 5th annual Vancouver Mini Maker Faire earlier this month to show off and compare their various creations. We here at Progressive Automations thought it would be a great idea to head down and see what local builders, engineers, and inventors were capable of and to let them know that we would be glad to help them in their future creative endeavors.
There was a wide array of proj...
Automation|Control Systems|Engineers|General|Linear Actuators|Microcontrollers|Mini Maker Faire|Plc Controls|Vancouver
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Military Automation: Pioneering a New Era in Defense Technology
In the rapidly evolving landscape of defense, military automation technology is transforming the way armed forces operate. From enhancing the efficiency of equipment to enabling advanced strategic operations, automation is at the forefront of military innovation. This article explores the pivotal role of automation in modern military strategies, the impact of linear actuators in military applications, and future trends in automation in armed f...
Author Title:Content Copywriter|General
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Robotic Automation and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning is on course to provide drastic improvements to autonomous systems. The future is bright and the advancement of AI-controlled robotics will only increase from here on out.
AI aims to provide robots with the ability to perform tasks that were once only capable of being completed with human intelligence. That is, to encompass the ability to perform a variety of tasks on its own as opposed to only...
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A Brief History Of Linear Actuators
Development of Pistons
Electric linear actuators are a modern form of a piston that is driven by an electric motor. One of the earliest uses of pistons was in steam engines. The first recorded history of a steam engine dates back to a design created in 1st century Roman Egypt. However, the first steam cylinder was designed by Denis Papin, a French physicist, and inventor, in the mid-1670s.
First Design of a Steam Powered Cylinder
An actuator...
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10 Ways Automation Is Changing The Modern World
Today, more and more companies are turning to automation to save money and speed up the product development process.
1. Robotics
Perhaps automation’s most significant contribution to the world has been the advance in robotics. As computer AI improves, humans start to develop machines that can replicate human actions. The applications for robotics are so wide in scope; it literally can be applied to almost every industry imaginable. Currently, ...
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3 Awesome Ideas for Linear Actuators in Kitchen Applications
The automation revolution, hailed as the leading trend of the modern-day tech industry, has transformed our lives all across the board. What started as a way of improving inefficient industrial processes is now embedded in our daily routines. Be it the innovative Smart Home concept or ergonomic TV furniture, automation is the ultimate comfort-giver in our personal abodes.
One of the central and busiest parts of our homes is the kitchen. The p...
Actuators|Home Automation|Linear Actuator|Progressive Automations
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Sliding Bolt Latch Using PA-MC1 Micro Linear Actuators
Sliding bolt latches can be found nearly everywhere we go as a means of locking and securing doors. By integrating DIY electric locks, users can benefit from the added convenience and safety found in home automation. In this article, we will cover how Nathan Bong created his own DIY lock mechanism for an automated sliding bolt latch using the PA-MC1 micro linear actuator. By following this guide, you'll have a DIY automated sliding bolt latch ...
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Furniture Actuators: Where To Find Them and How They Work
Linear actuators can be found in many different appliances and machinery, but one of the most prevalent uses we see them in is through automated smart furniture. In furniture making, they help with improving storage security, space optimization, and promoting ergonomic designs through proper posture. By allowing furniture to adjust into different configurations, furniture actuators can also introduce a stylish appearance to suit the ever-chang...
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Why is my DC motor whining at a lower PWM frequency?
Supplying PWM signals to the DC motor of an actuator is a common method for adjusting travel speed, however, some cases may result in acoustic noise through motor whining. At some point during the testing phase of your project, you may have noticed your same DC motor may generate motor whining at varying loudness when you connect it to different speed controller devices. This may be due to the different PWM frequencies that were set in each sp...
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