Pneumatic or electric actuator for tribometer?

[Dragoula]

Hi!
We (work group) are designing a tribometer to test materials to wear impact (for example to test teeth impact while chewing).
At the university, we have a tribometer that does that but needs an improvement because it doesn't work properly. It is used a linear pneumatic actuator to promote the impact, but the compressed air net is very instable, which means the tribometer needs a compressor individually, and that's not viable.
I'm not sure if a linear electric motor has the speed and force needed for this application, that was achieved with the pneumatic.
The specifications we need to achieve are:
-max. load: 500N (variable in time in a controlled way)
-25 mm stroke

Can you suggest any linear electric actuator, or any other alternative, that fulfils this requirements?

Thank you!

P.s. Sorry about any mistakes, english is not my native language : )

[jboggs]

Would the pneumatic actuator work well if the supply was stable? If so, install an accumulator tank between the actuator and the compressed air supply. Put a check valve (one-way valve) on the accumulator inlet so that pressure inside the tank does not go back out to the supply when the supply pressure drops. That way the actuator will have a steady high-pressure supply.

[Dragoula]

Would the pneumatic actuator work well if the supply was stable? If so, install an accumulator tank between the actuator and the compressed air supply. Put a check valve (one-way valve) on the accumulator inlet so that pressure inside the tank does not go back out to the supply when the supply pressure drops. That way the actuator will have a steady high-pressure supply.

Firstly, thank you for answer.
The actuator would work well if the supply was stable. The problem is that the lab where we need to use it, stays in the end of the compressed air line, so it is very instable because it is used by other equipments, causing sometimes a lot of variations in pressure. The pneumatic actuator would be good in matter of speed and force, but we'll probably put this aside. We are considering alternatives to this.

[Kelly_Bramble]

Firstly, thank you for answer.
The actuator would work well if the supply was stable. The problem is that the lab where we need to use it, stays in the end of the compressed air line, so it is very instable because it is used by other equipments, causing sometimes a lot of variations in pressure. The pneumatic actuator would be good in matter of speed and force, but we'll probably put this aside. We are considering alternatives to this.

Put a quality pressure regulator between the equipment and the rest of the facility. This will lower the usable pressure, however I doubt you need all of it.

[Dragoula]

Put a quality pressure regulator between the equipment and the rest of the facility. This will lower the usable pressure, however I doubt you need all of it.

Thank you. It is a possibility, that would certainly work.
Although, we are probably going to use another system, like an eccentric drive, with some microcontroller, because it is less complex and because we have to consider the costs and the space it will require.

[jboggs]

Maybe you didn't understand the purpose of my suggestion. If you install a check valve and accumulator as I suggested, then the supply to the actuator would be stable. This arrangement would isolate your actuator from the variations in the supply pressure.

[PinkertonD]

Maybe you didn't understand the purpose of my suggestion

I too was curious as to why that suggestion was ignored. Going to an electromechanical solution seems far from "less complex."

[Dragoula]

I too was curious as to why that suggestion was ignored. Going to an electromechanical solution seems far from "less complex."

The suggestion will not be ignored. I thank jboggs, and everyone who spent time reading and trying to help me, really!
I have a group work and we'll discuss all these possibilities. We haven't decide anything yet.

[CCR5600Design]

Would the pneumatic actuator work well if the supply was stable? If so, install an accumulator tank between the actuator and the compressed air supply. Put a check valve (one-way valve) on the accumulator inlet so that pressure inside the tank does not go back out to the supply when the supply pressure drops. That way the actuator will have a steady high-pressure supply.

Sounds like a great solution to me.


Ron