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Compact Linear Actuators
| MAX Horiz Payload | 1,202 lb (5,350 N) |
| MAX Stroke | 1,000 mm (39 in) |
| MAX Speed | 1.25 m/s (4 ft/s) |
10 Products
Lead Screw and Belt-Driven Linear Actuators - SIMO UG Series
| MAX Horiz Payload | 360 lb (1,600 N) |
| MAX Stroke | 1,400 mm (55 in) |
| MAX Speed | 5.5 m/s (18 ft/s) |
17 Products
Ball Screw Linear Actuators with V-Roller Guides
| MAX Horiz Payload | 285 lb (1,268 N) |
| MAX Stroke | 2,710 mm (107 in) |
| MAX Speed | 0.8 m/s (2.62 ft/s) |
3 Products
Linear Actuators with Profile Rail Guides – MT Series
| Max Horiz Payload | 20,200 N (4,541 lb) |
| Max stroke | 6,700mm (263.78 in) |
24 Products
Ball Screw Linear Actuators with Profile Rail Guides | MUK Series
| MAX Horiz Payload | 2,517 lb (11,200 N) |
| MAX Stoke | 2,710 mm (107 mm) |
| MAX Speed | 0.8 m/s (2.6 ft/s) |
3 Products
Plain Linear Bearing Slide Actuators
| MAX Horiz Payload | 18,750 lb (83,400 N) |
| MAX Stroke | 3,454 mm (136 in) |
| MAX Speed | 0.457 m/s (1.5 ft/s) |
42 Products
Ball Screw Linear Actuators with NEMA Motors
| MAX Horizontal Payload | 2.144 kN (482 lb) |
| MAX Stroke | 1650 mm (65 inches) |
| MAX Rotational Speed | Up to 5,000* RPM |
| * For faster options, contact factory |
62 Products
Lead Screw Linear Actuators – External, Captive & Non-Captive
| MAX Horizontal Payload | 1.16 kN (260 lb) |
| MAX Stroke | 1650 mm (65 inches) |
| MAX Rotational Speed | Up to 2,500* RPM |
| * For faster options, contact factory |
26 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 Linear Slide Actuator 36" long with two 5/8" diameter shafts supporting a base plate carriage mounted on 4 plain linear bearing pillow blocks. The bearings are lined with the renowned self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGold® which delivers long-lasting performance and maintenance-free operation under harsh conditions such as dirt, extreme heat,..
$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 Linear Slide Actuator 48" long with two 1/2" diameter shafts supporting a base plate carriage mounted on 4 plain linear bearing pillow blocks. The bearings are lined with the renowned self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGold® which delivers long-lasting performance and maintenance-free operation under harsh conditions such as dirt, extreme heat,..
$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 Linear Slide Actuator 36" long with two 1/2" diameter shafts supporting a base plate carriage mounted on 4 plain linear bearing pillow blocks. The bearings are lined with the renowned self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGold® which delivers long-lasting performance and maintenance-free operation under harsh conditions such as dirt, extreme heat,..
$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 Linear Slide Actuator 24" long with two 5/8" diameter shafts supporting a base plate carriage mounted on 4 plain linear bearing pillow blocks. The bearings are lined with the renowned self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGold® which delivers long-lasting performance and maintenance-free operation under harsh conditions such as dirt, extreme heat,..
$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 Linear Slide Actuator 24" long with two 1/2" diameter shafts supporting a base plate carriage mounted on 4 plain linear bearing pillow blocks. The bearings are lined with the renowned self-lubricating Simplicity® FrelonGold® which delivers long-lasting performance and maintenance-free operation under harsh conditions such as dirt, extreme heat,..
$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 Linear Slide Actuator UGT040D-A10-1500-LS1ZF-AG21-0 Length: 1500mm w/ NEMA 17 Motor Mount
$1,210.99
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
A linear actuator is a mechanical device that integrates a linear guide with a drive mechanism (such as a screw, belt, or piston) and a power source to convert rotary or fluid power into controlled straight-line motion, enabling precise positioning of loads. They are typically classified as pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, or mechanical, with electric and mechanical designs increasingly favored for their higher positioning accuracy, repeatability, cleanliness, and ease of system integration. At PBC Linear, our engineers specialize in mechanical and electric linear actuators, building them around high-performance drive systems such as ball screws, lead screws, and belt drives, in both NEMA motor-driven and hand-crank assemblies.
Belt-driven actuators support long strokes and high speeds with minimal maintenance; ball screw-driven designs provide high accuracy and load capacity for demanding positioning; and lead screw-driven actuators offer a cost-effective, quiet solution with options such as anti-backlash nuts for improved repeatability. These systems are available in a wide range of configurations, including multiple screw diameters, lead sizes, NEMA frame options, and actuator lengths to meet specific force, speed, and travel requirements. Carriage guidance is provided by either self-lubricating Gliding Surface Technology for low-maintenance operation in harsh environments such as with dirt, heat and vibration, or ball bearing profile rails for higher moment capacity and cantilevered loads. Together these configurations span applications from miniature to heavy-duty systems, supporting loads up to 83,400 N (18,750 lb) and strokes up to 6,000mm (236 in).
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.
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