Linear Actuators

About FIRGELLI Automations

For 2 decades FIRGELLI has been developing 12v Electric Linear Actuator Systems and motion control products for just about every industry on the planet. We began developing Micro Electric Linear Actuators for the robotics industry and then expanded our product range to include High-Speed Linear Actuators, Track Actuators, followed by Feedback Linear Actuators that now use either built-in potentiometers, hall sensors, or optical feedback sensors. These Feedback Linear Actuators offer enhanced control capabilities and superior resolution for those applications that require positional control, tracking, or syncing.

If you need help selecting the correct product for your application you can try our Linear Actuator Calculator. This will really make your search much easier, saving you time and effort as our calculator can do the calculations for you.

We carry in stock 12-24Vdc Linear Actuators in stroke lengths ranging from 1-inch to 50-inch in many different configurations from our Industrial Heavy-Duty Linear Actuators that offer 2,200-lbs force, to our mini-series offering as little as 15-lbs of force. Generally, there are several different types of linear actuators, here are some of the types available:

Linear Actuators for any application

With 20 years of Linear Electrical Actuator design development and manufacturing experience, we offer you a wide selection of DC Linear Actuators, from very short strokes to the longest stroke options in the industry. We have the capability to create custom sizes if required including custom strokes, voltages, speed, and forces. Our staff are very knowledgeable and helpful in the field of Linear Motion control.

Our high-quality Linear Actuators are used in just about every application imaginable, with such a wide range of force and stroke length options we can support most project requirements. Our main distribution Hub is located in Washington state where we hold a large Inventory to support the USA and global markets. Our friendly staff are on standby to help with technical questions and support.

Our Products all come with an 18-month Guarantee and are the preferred solution when you need simple, safe, long-life motion control.

What is a Linear Actuator

An Electric Linear Actuator is a device that pushes or pulls something in a linear direction or straight line. The rotational motion in its electric motors powered by electrical energy is what causes this motion. FIRGELLI has specialized in Electric Linear  Actuators for over 20 years, but that is not the only type that exists. Hydraulic Linear  Actuators use a variety of liquids as their source of energy, and Pneumatic Linear Actuators operate using compressed air. When it comes to Quality and Price, FIRGELLI cannot be beaten. Electric Linear Actuators are the preferred option when precise smooth movement is needed and are much easier to install and program to fit your project. We go more into depth on this subject in our Blog if you are interested in learning more.

Classic vs Premium Actuator

Choosing the right Linear Actuator is not easy when there are so many to choose from, especially as there are so many variations to our high-quality Electric Linear Actuators, such as stroke length, voltages, speed, and force. For most of our products, we have provided a video that demonstrates all the features and benefits that you may find useful in getting to the right product page. Above is a comparison video of our two most popular Linear Actuators that you may find helpful. If all else fails then we suggest giving us a call and talk to our tech people to assist you further.

Resources and Help

We have a wide range of articles that cover a variety of topics that you may find useful. We have articles such as our “Linear Actuators 101”, and then for more detailed and advanced engineering articles we have articles such as “achieving Synchronized motion”.

Our other big resource section is our Tutorials page. Here we get much more specific with some linear actuator controlling features for more advanced users and applications. If we don’t cover anything that suits your needs then you can always call our tech team at 1-866-226-0465 or email us at [email protected] and please feel free to send us drawings, sketches, napkin notes, or whatever you have that may help us help you. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The first thing to know is that a linear actuator does exactly what its name implies: it actuates (or ‘moves’) in a linear (or ‘straight’) fashion. There are many different ways that a linear actuators motor can do this, and their motion is commonly achieved with a rod extending and retracting, or a slider that moves on a track. It’s motion is created by using a Lead-screw. The screw turns either clockwise or counter-clockwise and this causes the shaft, which is basically a nut on the screw to move up and down the screw as the screw turns. This is what converts rotary motion from the electric motor to Linear motion.

The motors used are either AC or DC motors, most however run on 12v dc. To make a Linear Actuator go in the opposite direction you simple reverse the wires from the Linear Actuator (reverse polarity) from the battery or power supply. This is typically done through a switch that automatically reverses the polarity to the motor for you. Different speeds and forces are achieved by using different gear ratio’s inside the Linear Actuator gearbox system. Please remember in a linear actuator, force and speed trade off against each other. That means if you want high force you have to settle for a lower speed than if you require lower force. This is because the only constant in a Linear Actuator is the Motor speed and force for a given input voltage.

To make our linear actuator shaft stop when it gets to the end of the stroke, our products have built-in limit switches or micro switches as they are sometimes known. These limit switches are inside the main shaft and are nothing more than a small switch that is triggered by the nut inside that slides up and down the screw. There is one for the top extended position and one for the lower retracted position. For more information on this, check out our Blogs page.

A FIRGELLI Linear Actuator offers simple maintenance free operation, that’s easy to install and operate. But first what is a Linear Actuator? It’s a device that requires an electrical energy input and an external an optional signal input. Its a device that converts the rotational motion of an AC or DC motor into linear motion. It can provide both push and pull movements. This movement makes it possible to lift, drop, slide, adjust, tilt, push, or pull objects with the simple push of a button. Today there are hundreds of millions of linear actuators used in the world to perform many different tasks. Electric Linear Actuators consists of a DC or AC motor, a series of gears, and a lead screw with a driving nut that pushes the main rod shaft in and out. FIRGELLI sells 12v Linear Actuators and 24v Linear Actuators.

You have a few options for selecting the ideal Linear Actuator for your application. You can call us to get some help or you can use our Actuator calculator, or you can browse through our many Actuator products pages to get a feel for all the different types we have available to you.  Typically when choosing the ideal Linear Actuator you start off with the force. This is the force you think you need to lift or move the object you require moving. As a rule of thumb, we always suggest to people to buy the electric actuator that offers double the force you think you need, thereby allowing for a 50% safety factor. From there you will also need to know the actuators stroke length. This is the length you need to move your object in and out. If the exact Stroke length is not available then you can install an external limit switch to stop the actuator exactly where you want it to. We offer this kit also and the wiring diagram to go with it which is very easy to follow. You also need to think about the IP-Rating you need for your linear actuator. This will depend on how harsh the conditions your actuator will operate in. For more on IP-Ratings check out our guide.

A Linear Actuator runs at their max speed out of the box when no force is applied to them. An Actuators’ speed depends on a few things like force, the gear ratio, and voltage. A 24vdc power supply will make a 12vdc Actuator run twice as fast, meaning that speed is directly proportional to voltage input.  If you want to slow down your actuator we offer a speed controller for exactly that situation. The Speed controller lets you set different speeds of the 12 volt linear actuator simply by adjusting the voltage automatically for you to slower down the actuator, however these cannot speed up the linear actuator faster than it can already go. 

Our Website only shows what is in stock, those options that are out of stock are greyed out so that you know it is not available to purchase. So therefore only in-stock products can be purchased online. Drop us a line to enquire about when particular products will be returned.

Yes we do. Our discount structure is based on volumes, so the more you buy the more you save its that simple. Simply give us a call to get volume discounted pricing, but these volumes start at 11pcs or more.