At Coastal Technical Sales, we provide a variety of supplies including polyethylene tanks to P and electric and pneumatic actuators to the tristate area. We believe that along with selling an excellent product and providing the highest-quality services, we should take our operations a step further and provide our clients with education, too. Oftentimes our clients who aren’t in the tank and industrial supply business will express an interest in knowing about the function of the item they’re purchasing, so we’ve been providing some simple explanations about the workings of our various products on this blog. This month, we’ll be outlining the function of actuators, as well as the variety of types and models that are available for purchase from our location in Montgomeryville, PA.
What is the purpose of an actuator?
Actuators are designed to operate valves powered by air, hydraulic fluid, or electrical current .
What kinds of actuators are there?
Actuators are classified by what kind of motion they make (linear or rotary). Most actuators produce either rotational or linear motion; they can be powered by Electricity or compressed air. At Coastal Technical Sales, we provide actuators to suit the required motions of a variety of machines, as well as actuators that are well-suited to different inputs of power. Here are just a few of the types of actuators we offer:
Solenoid Actuator – This type of actuator is used to manage compressed air valves; the solenoid will form a magnet within itself in order to power the actuator, which then shifts the workings of an air valve. The entire device can be powered by either air or electricity, and can be made to operate very quickly; these are one of the easiest types of actuators to install.
Pneumatic Actuators – This actuator uses compressed air (hence the name “pneumatic”), which it converts into motion, either linear or rotary. This type of actuator can be quite powerful, and is usually one of the cheaper ways of providing motion to a device. As it’s a simpler machine than many other means of performing the same action, it’s also safe and reliable.
Electric– This actuator uses electricity to operate the valve. These are used mostly in the municipal marketplace.
From the Automax line, we supply pneumatic, solenoid and electric actuators, as well as limit switches, positioners and accessories; from Unitorq, we offer pneumatic and rack and pinion actuators, as well as limit switches, positioners, solenoids and various accessories. Along with actuators, Coastal Technical Sales provides valves and positioners, which are used to control the operation of the valve.