Hi all! I’m a little confused about various linear actuator specs from here and on the internet.
I need to move something that weights about 280~340 Grams, 100mm in 1 second, or max 2 seconds, in one stright direction (up), then down again maybe 5-10 seconds later, once per hour during daylight hours (lets say 10 hours per day). The dimensions of what i’m moving are:
Height: 3.75 Inches/9.525cm
Width: 2.5 inches/6.35cm
Depth: 2.5 inches/6.35cm
So i’ve been looking for a linear actuator with the following specs:
Stroke Length: 100mm
Speed: Ideally, 100mm/s or faster (no lower than 50mm/s but ideally higher)
Load: 0.5NM
Duty: (I haven’t worked this out)
Voltage: 6 or 12V (will be controlled by a L298N)
I either can’t find one, or it costs nearly $1~2K and will move 150NM (and I need to move much much less). This makes me think i’m either missing something, or barking up the wrong tree altogether.
That is quite a high speed for a linear actuator. However, the load is quite light. Is it possible to use the high load capacity of a typical linear actuator in conjunction with a lever to get the speed you want? The required positioning accuracy will become important if you use any sort of mechanism to trade force for speed.
I had a similar requirement and, in the end, settled on a servo and a 3d print I found.
Maybe it’s something that would suit you.
I had this video I needed for my collaborators in prototype stage.
The video shows a cheap 180 degree servo I had lying around.
I switched to a 365 degree servo.
The 365 servo was faster and had a longer throw.
This design exactly won’t work for you, but the concept, and a powerful accurate servo or stepper, might be the answer you need.
Wow, thanks everyone for replying so quickly. I will look into the above in more depth but I was trying to keep it simple (in what is most likely the dumbest way possible)
For more context:
I was hoping to avoid gearing/tracks as I’m not well versed in it (or anything) at all and was hoping to put everything into this box: Sealed ABS Enclosure - 240 x 160 x 90mm. The box isn’t a hard restriction, just what I selected for the prototype.
The goal is a cuckoo clock that:
has an 7 segment 4 digit LCD/LED matrix on the front
more importantly just pushes a pop-vinyl up out of the box very quickly (hence the speed),
plays a sound,
then goes back down
and does it again next hour.
The underlying idea is that you can change the pop-vinyl and sound whenever you want e.g., if you are over Deadpool after a few months, you could change the pop-vinyl and sound file something different. I do acknowledge that with no lid/cover and just a whole, the pop vinyl will get dusty but that’s just more reason to change it regularly!
I have some knowledge but not much, gained in the wrong order. So while it sounds like I am well versed in the maker area, I am not. Thus making me the most dangerous type of user there is.
Given the above, do you still think the gearing/track option is my best path? If so is there a small version of the gear rack kit?
Many thanks again for replying so quickly and the advice!
HA. That would be interesting, but no. A cuckoo clock that plays a sound file on the hour and push’s up (or pops up) a funko-pop pop-vinyl figurine like this [https://funko.com/pop-deadpool/3052.html] (https://funko.com/pop-deadpool/3052.html) for the duration of the sound file (ideally < 10 seconds) and then go down again.
Yeah I still think a gear track mechanism could work. That’s how I would solve it.
Have a think about wind up springs like these. Many have a lock and release mechanism. Up at speed is free, you only need to figure out how to wind the spring down to tension again which could be as simple as a cheap hoby motor.
Ok. More googling is needed tonight then. I was hoping for a linear actuator to help keep things simple since this if my first project and at this point, thingy-go-up and thingy-go-down should be in my reach.
Any change you or @Dan know of a kit that core (or someone else) sells that might fit the bill or should I look into getting it 3d printed (my best mate is into it and is my partner in this endeavour)
