PERIPHERAL AND PROCESSING EQUIPMENTS

Electric Actuators

The actuators are devices, which are capable of generating a powering force and to perform physical actions guided by a control system. These physical actions can be circular or lineal movements.

They are named electric actuators when electric energy is used to generate their movements and they are characterized for their accuracy and repetitiveness. They are ideal for precision assignments. The type of job and the velocity are elements that have to be considered when choosing the most accurate actuator.

CLASSIFICATION (types of powering and energy):

• Electric powering: Used at continuous performances, saving manual effort from operators.
• Hydraulic powering: Used when a higher power and quick response is required.
• Pneumatic powering: Used for positioning requirements.
• Manual powering

The actuator represents the interface between the controlling system and the gate. Control commands are transmitted in a binary, analogic or field form for positioning the valve. Conversely, the control system waits for an answer from the actuator. It can be produced as a mere answer of its status through the binary output signals (OPEN/CLOSE, final position, OPEN/CLOSE, failure, etc.). It can also send dynamic data (valve positioning) through the analogic output. All static and dynamic data is available at all time at the field bus.