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Linear actuator users : share your horror stories!

Discussion in 'Motor actuators and drivers' started by hannibal, Mar 8, 2019.

  1. hannibal

    hannibal Active Member

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    so, i am very curious as to what can go wrong when building and using your DIY linear actuators.

    anyone experience playing a game and the ball screw trips the limit switches? what happens when this occurs?

    i see people epoxying the actuator tube/rod to the ball screw... has motion simulator usage end up breaking the bond or connection of the actuator?

    Im trying to build a 6dof linear actuator platform.. I like to hear your experiences.. or at least what not to do! most of what have been reading is how to assemble.. but i havent seen posts about breaking your actuators... yet..

    tips from everyone

    1) make sure of your measurements, double check, triple check
    2) do not remove the ball from the screw ball.. unless you wana put back the bearings...
    3) put safety limit switches in your build.. a must to prevent runaway movement that could damage
    4) wire correct, ensure connections
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2019
  2. SilentChill

    SilentChill Problem Maker

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    Not having limit switches or mechanical end stops setup before you start messing can end up with the ball screw coming off the end of the screw.

    Making sure your wires are all firmly connected or else the actuator will run away

    Making sure your range is not too much that your frame hits your actuators or your frame is designed so it doesn't.
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  3. Thanos

    Thanos Building the Future one AC Servo at a time... or 6

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    I once blew the IGBT on my servo drive, when I unplugged powered off the AMC... I was doing some digging in the servo drive offset parameters and forgot to power cycle for calibration, so when the AMC was powered off the Actuator tried to go to -200 position to home.... The bang was spectacular on 1000Watts with full torque!!... Funny enough nothing else was damaged, the servo drive was still working just reporting error in its power circuit which helped locating and fixing the problem! After replacing the IGBT the servo drive functions as new!
  4. hannibal

    hannibal Active Member

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    wow... IGBT sounds like a very expensive item.
    well i am glad that you are still around, and didnt end up blowing up your home or something!
  5. Thanos

    Thanos Building the Future one AC Servo at a time... or 6

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    Nah, the IGBT is not so expensive. It costs around $20 but its multi leg part that takes some effort to remove from the PCB board of the servo, i think its a 25pin part...

    wx_camera_1543754616124.jpg

    Its high voltage part, 600v and can make loud bang while its destroyed, but not fire!
  6. hannibal

    hannibal Active Member

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    i was an electronics tech in the military.. for fun we blew up capacitors and stuff, those have loud firecracker bangs..

    wow nice solder iron you have... i do miss the pro irons and solder suckers i had in the military. i had access to so much back then.. kids going to the military now have it good if they wanted to get into their hobbies
  7. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately in the Australian Military most of the real Engineering/Technical work is done by Contractors nowadays :(.