Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

Editor's Note: This post was provided by Precision Technology.

Evolution of Technology

All industries are taking a critical look at the way they use motion control systems in their equipment. Where hydraulics once dominated, equipment is now increasingly utilizing electro-mechanical actuators for a large number of tasks for which they previously would not have been considered. Electro-mechanical actuators provide more precise and reliable motion, and integrate easily with modern PLCs and computers. From a complete system perspective, they are smaller, lighter, and cleaner than their hydraulic counterparts. Electro-mechanical actuators:

• Increase efficiency, therefore reducing costly energy consumption. For battery-driven electric vehicles, this means increased battery life.

• Eliminate hydraulic hoses, valves and pumps.

• Have support systems that take up less space, by replacing fluid reservoirs and valve banks with compact electronic drives.

• Eliminate the hassle and cost of dealing with spent hydraulic oil.

• Remove the functional reliability risk associated with hydraulic fluid contamination.

• Eliminate the safety and environmental issues of oil leaks.