Frequently asked questions

            How fast can the liteECO® Actuators move?     


             
             
            The liteECO drive series delivers a max. speed of 1040 mm/s. With max. acceleration of 60 m/s²  a positioning time of up to 65 ms on 50 mm stroke is possible.









            What force can a liteECO® Actuator apply statically and dynamically?

             
             
            Force of up to 800 N can be applied statically (80 kg vertical load), depending on the actuator configuration. The nominal force for dynamic processes is 33 % (poor thermal connection) to 50 % (good thermal connection) of the maximum force. For dynamic loads, the maximum load capacity must not be exceeded. Contact us to calculate your individual motion profiles.




            With which motion controller can the liteECO® actuators be operated?

            LiteECO® actuators are proven with controllers of the following manufacturers:

            Contact us for questions about control via different bus systems. We will be happy to assist you in selecting the appropriate control system and check compatibility with your system components.

            What is the maximum stroke of a liteECO® actuator?

            Currently offered series models provide a traversable stroke of up to 56 mm (without integrated anti-rotation protection of the plunger). The overall lenght of the actuator in this configuration is 84 mm. This enables the liteECO® to safe up to 80 % installation space compared to comparable electrical solutions and uses 2/3 of its installation lenght for the stroke.
            Scaling to a longer stroke is possible on request. Contact us!

            What are the benefits of switching to an all-electric infrastructure?

            The use of electromechanical actuators instead of pneumatic systems leads to a significantly simplification of the system infrastructure and an associated faster commissioning. The reduced component use leads to a more advantageous ecological footprint of the systems.

            Whereas the SMELA liteECO® actuators only require a motion controller, a pneumatic cylinder requires a complete compressed air infrastructure consisting of a compressor, pressure vessels, leaky hoses, valves, valve actuators as well as a power supply.

            The maintenance effort of these compressed air systems, with continuous lubrication and cleaning as well as filter changes and leakage repairs, represents a non-negligible personnel expense with additional material costs.


            Mechanical compatibility
            How is the mechanical connection of the liteECO® actuators designed?

            The LE48 size has an external flange dimension (A) of 48 x 48 mm with a mounting hole spacing of 38 x 38 mm. This corresponds to a comparable pneumatic cylinder with a piston diameter of 40 mm. Since the liteECO® series does not exceed the installation length with the same stroke of the pneumatic cylinders, the actuators can be used without further adaptation effort. Provided that the force and dynamics are in accordance with the requirements.

            Feel free to contact us!


            Parameterization and teachability

            Can the motion profiles be parameterized?

             
             
            Depending on the motion controller used, various scripts for stand-alone/island operation of the controllers can be stored in addition to the integrated position control with mostly subordinate speed and current control loop.

            This allows digital or analog inputs to be easily ealuated and used in programmed state machines in addition to setpoint specification via a bus system (e.g. CAN, EtherCAT, Profinet oder Profibus).

            For small systems/automats without higher-level control or for quick commissioning by mechanics without programming knowledge, this can be useful and helpful.

            The accompanying video shows a simple switch function for picking and logistics systems. The desired positions can easily be programmed by hand, without PC or bus connection. Via digital inputs (pushbuttons), binary signals or bus systems the control in the machine can be done.
            Lifetime
            How long is the service life of liteECO® actuators?

             
             
            The mechanics used are made of high-performance plastics or ball screws, depending on the configuration. The former are cheaper to manufacture and more susceptible to wear, although dynamic load tests have proven cycle numbers similar to pneumaticcylinders (> 10 million). Any wear that occurs can be compensated for by the control system and announced electronically (predictive maintenance). As a result, SMELA offers refurbishment of the actuators in order to replace the mechanics simply and cost-effectively and to help the product achieve several life cycles.

            Therefore, our sustainable design not only conserves valuable resources, but also reduces industrial waste.

            Contact us for further informations, the individual life cycle determination or the processing of a refurbishment:  service@smela.com


            Areas of application

            Where are liteECO® actuators used?

            The liteECO® linear actuators are ideal for applications that require short linear movements: e.g. in production lines, machine tools or packaging systems. For simple and complex movements: for fixing, adjusting, locking or traversing any motion profiles.

            Do you have any questions?

            It would be a pleasure for our experts to answer your questions.