Linear Actuators

Linear Actuators

A linear actuator is a mechanical device that combines a linear guide, drive mechanism, carriage-guidance system, and power source to produce controlled straight-line motion for moving or positioning a load. The drive mechanism—such as a ball screw, lead screw, belt, or fluid-powered piston—creates linear force, while the guidance system supports the carriage, controls its path, and resists side, moment, and cantilevered loads. Linear actuators are commonly classified as electric, mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic; electric and mechanical designs are often selected for controlled positioning, repeatability, clean operation, and integration with automated machinery.

PBC Linear designs guided belt-driven and screw-driven actuators powered by NEMA motors or hand cranks. Belt-driven actuators support long strokes and high speeds with low maintenance. Ball screw actuators provide high efficiency, load capacity, and positioning accuracy, while lead screw actuators offer quieter, more cost-effective motion with anti-backlash options for improved repeatability. Screw-driven configurations include external-nut actuators, where the screw rotates and a restrained nut travels along it; captive actuators, where the nut rotates and pushes a non-rotating screw in and out; and non-captive actuators, where the rotating nut travels along a screw that passes through the motor. Available configurations include multiple screw diameters, lead sizes, NEMA frame sizes, motor lengths, and actuator lengths to match specific force, speed, and travel requirements. Carriage guidance is provided by either self-lubricating Gliding Surface Technology for low-maintenance operation in environments with dirt, heat, or vibration, or ball-bearing profile rails for greater moment capacity and cantilevered loads.

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228 products
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 24 inches long, featuring two 3/4 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$3,521.76
Ball screw driven 36" linear slide using four 5/8" plain linear bearing pillow blocks on two steel round shafts, with a base plate carriage supported by the layout. Each bearing is lined with self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGOLD®, providing maintenance-free linear motion without grease while helping resist dirt, vibration, shock loads, extreme..
$3,048.72
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 36 inches long, featuring two 5/8 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$3,530.06
Ball screw driven 48" linear slide using four 1/2" plain linear bearing pillow blocks on two steel round shafts, with a base plate carriage supported by the layout. Each bearing is lined with self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGOLD®, providing maintenance-free linear motion without grease while helping resist dirt, vibration, shock loads, extreme..
$2,869.45
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 48 inches long, featuring two 1/2 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$3,350.79
Ball Screw Linear Actuator of 750 mm length with two 20 mm recirculating ball profile rail guideways for compact, high-rigidity linear motion. This MUK actuator uses a 20 mm diameter ball screw with a 5 mm lead, Class 7 travel accuracy rated at 52 µm/300 mm, and a profile rail..
$4,247.55
Ball Screw Linear Actuator of 700 mm length with two 20 mm recirculating ball profile rail guideways for compact, high-rigidity linear motion. This MUK actuator uses a 20 mm diameter ball screw with a 5 mm lead, Class 7 travel accuracy rated at 52 µm/300 mm, and a profile rail..
$4,178.64
Ball screw driven 36" linear slide using four 1/2" plain linear bearing pillow blocks on two steel round shafts, with a base plate carriage supported by the layout. Each bearing is lined with self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGOLD®, providing maintenance-free linear motion without grease while helping resist dirt, vibration, shock loads, extreme..
$2,519.72
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 36 inches long, featuring two 1/2 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$3,001.05
Ball Screw Linear Actuator of 1828mm length, featuring a Class 10 ball screw with a ball nut and a 5mm lead housed in a compact aluminum housing of 55mm width and 55mm height. A high-speed Integral-V™ pre-loaded ball bearing cam roller carriage glides on a 55mm-wide linear rail with v-grooved hardened..
$2,582.30
Ball screw driven 24" linear slide using four 5/8" plain linear bearing pillow blocks on two steel round shafts, with a base plate carriage supported by the layout. Each bearing is lined with self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGOLD®, providing maintenance-free linear motion without grease while helping resist dirt, vibration, shock loads, extreme..
$2,618.11
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 24 inches long, featuring two 5/8 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$3,099.45
Belt-driven linear actuator with a 1,000mm body length, 80mm x 80mm base profile, and one carriage guided by a single recirculating ball profile rail with two runner blocks for high-speed linear motion. This MTB Series actuator is engineered for medium to high payload applications and uses a steel-reinforced timing belt..
$3,566.05
Ball screw driven 24" linear slide using four 1/2" plain linear bearing pillow blocks on two steel round shafts, with a base plate carriage supported by the layout. Each bearing is lined with self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGOLD®, providing maintenance-free linear motion without grease while helping resist dirt, vibration, shock loads, extreme..
$2,169.97
Ball Screw Linear Slide Actuator, 24 inches long, featuring two 1/2 inch parallel steel shafts on support rails that enable a flattop carriage on four linear plain bearing pillow blocks to glide back and forth. The plain bearings have a self-lubricating FrelonGold® liner that allows the bearings to glide without..
$2,651.30
Belt-driven linear actuator with a 1000mm body length, 55mm x 55mm base profile, and one carriage guided by a single recirculating ball profile rail with two runner blocks for high-speed linear motion. This MTB Series actuator is engineered for medium payload applications and uses a steel-reinforced timing belt with adjustable..
$2,628.16
Belt-driven linear actuator with a 2000mm length of v-rail and a carriage equipped with stainless steel sealed V-wheels. This part of the SIMO UG Tall Profile Series includes a NEMA 23 motor. The SIMO process involves machining aluminum extrusions with synchronized cutters in one pass, ensuring rails with 2x better..
$1,913.64
Lead Screw Linear Slide Actuator of 1500mm length with a NEMA 17 motor. This actuator utilizes a Gliding Surface Technology™ (GST) carriage with a self-lubricating FrelonGold® underliner on a rail with a tall profile. It features a 2mm screw lead and an anti-backlash screw nut. GST carriage with self-lubricating FrelonGold®..
$1,304.59
Lead Screw Driven Linear Actuator of 1500mm length with a NEMA 17 motor mount. This actuator utilizes a Gliding Surface Technology™ (GST) carriage with a self-lubricating FrelonGold® underliner on a rail with a tall profile. It features a 2mm screw lead and an anti-backlash screw nut. GST carriage with self-lubricating..
$1,210.99
Ball Screw Linear Actuator of 500mm length, featuring a Class 10 ball screw with a ball nut and a 5mm lead housed in a compact aluminum housing of 55mm width and 55mm height. A high-speed Integral-V™ pre-loaded ball bearing cam roller carriage glides on a 55mm-wide linear rail with v-grooved hardened..
$1,934.21
228 products

Linear Actuators

228 products
Linear Actuators Overview

A linear actuator is a mechanical device that combines a linear guide, drive mechanism, carriage-guidance system, and power source to produce controlled straight-line motion for moving or positioning a load. The drive mechanism—such as a ball screw, lead screw, belt, or fluid-powered piston—creates linear force, while the guidance system supports the carriage, controls its path, and resists side, moment, and cantilevered loads. Linear actuators are commonly classified as electric, mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic; electric and mechanical designs are often selected for controlled positioning, repeatability, clean operation, and integration with automated machinery.

PBC Linear designs guided belt-driven and screw-driven actuators powered by NEMA motors or hand cranks. Belt-driven actuators support long strokes and high speeds with low maintenance. Ball screw actuators provide high efficiency, load capacity, and positioning accuracy, while lead screw actuators offer quieter, more cost-effective motion with anti-backlash options for improved repeatability. Screw-driven configurations include external-nut actuators, where the screw rotates and a restrained nut travels along it; captive actuators, where the nut rotates and pushes a non-rotating screw in and out; and non-captive actuators, where the rotating nut travels along a screw that passes through the motor. Available configurations include multiple screw diameters, lead sizes, NEMA frame sizes, motor lengths, and actuator lengths to match specific force, speed, and travel requirements.

Carriage guidance is provided by either self-lubricating Gliding Surface Technology for low-maintenance operation in environments with dirt, heat, or vibration, or ball-bearing profile rails for greater moment capacity and cantilevered loads.

  • Guided belt-driven, ball screw, and lead screw actuator options
  • External-nut, captive, and non-captive screw configurations
  • NEMA motor-driven and hand-crank models
  • Multiple screw diameters, leads, motor lengths, and frame sizes
  • Choose Self-lubricating Gliding Surface Technology for dirt, heat, and vibration or ball-bearing profile rail guidance for higher moment and cantilevered loads
  • Load capacities up to 83,400N (18,750lb)
  • Stroke lengths up to 6,000mm (236in)
  • Miniature through heavy-duty actuator systems

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a linear actuator?
A linear actuator is a device that produces controlled straight-line motion by converting rotational or input force into linear movement. It is commonly used in automation, machinery, and positioning systems to move or position loads.
How does a linear actuator work?
A linear actuator works by converting motion from a motor, screw, or belt drive into linear movement. As the drive mechanism rotates or moves, it advances a carriage or rod along a guided path to produce controlled motion.
What are the main types of linear actuators?
The main types of linear actuators are electric, mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic. Electric and mechanical actuators are often preferred for their precision, cleanliness, and ease of integration, while pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are typically used for higher force applications.
What is the difference between a lead screw and a ball screw actuator?
Lead screw actuators use sliding contact between the screw and nut, making them quieter and more cost-effective, while ball screw actuators use rolling elements to reduce friction, providing higher efficiency, accuracy, and load capacity.
What is the difference between belt-driven and screw-driven actuators?
Belt-driven actuators are designed for long travel distances and higher speeds with lower cost and maintenance, while screw-driven actuators provide greater accuracy, stiffness, and load capacity for precise positioning applications.
When should a linear actuator be used instead of a cylinder?
Linear actuators are preferred when precise positioning, repeatability, and controlled motion are required, while pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders are typically used for simple extension and retraction with higher force but less control.
Do linear actuators require maintenance?
Maintenance depends on the design. Screw-driven actuators may require periodic lubrication, while some systems use self-lubricating materials or low-maintenance designs to reduce service requirements.
What factors should be considered when selecting a linear actuator?
Key factors include load capacity, speed, stroke length, required precision, environmental conditions, mounting configuration, and the type of drive mechanism used.
What provides guidance in a linear actuator?
Guidance in a linear actuator is provided by linear bearings or guide systems that support the carriage and maintain alignment. These may include sliding-contact guides for low maintenance or rolling-element guides for higher load and rigidity.
What are linear actuators used for?
Linear actuators are used in applications such as automation, material handling, packaging equipment, medical devices, and positioning systems where controlled linear motion is required.