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Developing and Customizing Linear Actuators: When Standard Options Aren’t Enough
I’m running into a wall with a project that needs a pretty specific actuator setup. I’m automating a fold-out panel in my camper build, and the standard models I’ve tried either don’t have the right stroke length or don’t fit the mounting space without weird modifications. I’m starting to think I might need something custom-built, but I’ve never ordered a customized actuator before. Not sure what the usual process looks like or how much variation manufacturers are willing to handle. Anyone here ever had to go that route when off-the-shelf parts just didn’t cut it?
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Yeah, I’ve been down that road once. I had a project with tight spacing and a required travel length that didn’t match any standard unit, so I had to look into customization. It wasn’t as complicated as I expected — most companies can adjust stroke lengths or change the speed/force combination if you know what you need. One example of the kind of base model they tweaked for me was similar high speed actuator https://www.progressiveautomations.com/products/pa-st1. The biggest help was giving them clear measurements and explaining the load conditions. Once that was sorted out, the custom version actually ended up saving me time since I didn’t have to redesign the whole mount around it.