New anti-rotational design ensures actuator accuracy

BEI Kimco, a brand of Sensata Technologies, has introduced a new moving magnet Voice Coil Actuator with a flexure design that ensures high alignment accuracy by preventing unwanted shaft rotation. The new VCA also provides long life with cost-effective pricing and is ideally suited where extreme precision is required, such as in medical equipment, laboratory instrumentation, clean rooms, low-outgassing and aerospace applications.

The Housed Linear Actuator Model LAH13-11-000A incorporates a shaft with flexures at both ends of travel that support the moving magnet field assembly. In addition to preventing shaft rotation inaccuracies, other characteristics attributed to the flexure design are the elimination of friction and side-loads at non-vertical angles, unwanted particulate accumulation caused from bearing/bushing shedding, and its inherent ability to return the magnet to mid-stroke when re-energized.

The new actuator delivers a peak force of 11.9 N and a continuous stall force of 0.7 N in a small, lightweight package that measures just 36.00 mm x 30.00 mm and weighs 0.22 lb. Accuracy is limited only by the user's encoder used for feedback and rigorous testing assures long life.

"This plug-and-play housed actuator saves users time by eliminating the need to mount their own flexure or add a housing - it really allows for seamless integration into their application," says Jim McNamara, BEI Kimco Senior Applications Engineer.