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Step 1
Determine the amount of force required. This may be the weight of an object you are lifting or friction that needs to be overcome. You can rule out any actuators that are not capable of producing enough force.
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Step 2
Decide how fast you need to move. Not only can you rule out any actuators that are too fast or too slow, the speed combined with the force from step one will give you an idea of the mechanical power required and generally how powerful the motor must be.
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Step 3
Now you should define how far your actuator needs to travel, also known as the stroke length. Try to stick to the standard catalog options such as two inch increments.
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Step 4
Keep in mind that the longer the stroke is, the longer the actuator will be when fully retracted. This is especially important if you need to fit into an existing space.
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Step 5
Don't forget to check the duty cycle rating of your remaining choices. Except for high end servo units, most actuators may not operate continuously without overheating.
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Step 6
Now consider your power supply options. A battery powered application will probably require a DC motor rated the same as the battery voltage. However, an AC powered application does not necessarily need an AC motor because AC is pretty easily converted to any DC voltage.
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Step 7
Just about any actuator can operate in an indoor environment, but harsh outdoor conditions, extreme temperatures or submersion will drastically limit your product choices. Sometimes it is easier to provide some external protection to the unit rather than find one with the proper ingress protection rating that meets all your other requirements.
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Step 8
You may also need to be flexible when choosing options such as built-in limit switches and position feedback devices such as potentiometers and encoders. Consider that limit switches, for instance, can often be incorporated in part of your mechanism rather that being part of the actuator itself.
