Actuator – How Industrial Components Work
An actuator is a component of a machine responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, for example by opening a valve. Simply put, it’s an “engine.”
An actuator requires a control signal and a power source. The control signal is relatively low in energy and may be electrical voltage or current, pneumatic or hydraulic fluid pressure, or even human force. Its main power source may be electric current, hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. When receiving a control signal, an actuator responds by converting energy from the source into mechanical motion. In the electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic sense, it is a form of automation or automatic control.
An actuator is a mechanism by which a control system acts to perform an operation or task. The control system may be simple (a fixed mechanical or electronic system), software-based (e.g., a printer driver, robot control system), human, or other input.
For more information on how actuators work
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Electric Motors and Drives: Fundamentals, Types and Applications
Best-selling reference book on electric motors and drives for non-specialists, bridging the gap between mathematics and theory.
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Mechanical Design of Electric Motors
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