There are lots of things in the world today that many people, quite frankly, do not understand. Fact is that so many things have been invented, introduced and are being used in everyday industries in such a short time that your average person has no idea what half of those things are. Take an actuator for instance. Whether it is a miniature actuator, a normal actuator, or some other kind, most people have no idea what they are. Ironically people use them in a wide variety of industries and places and, often unknowingly, every day!
One of the most important things to remember when you hear anything about an actuator, whether it is a miniature actuator or some other one, is that they all involve movement of some type. These devices play an important part in mechanical motion. They are machines that use the force created by movement to perform some sort of action. They are used in a wide variety of different industries and fields and have a whole range of different uses depending on the industry it is used in.
While hardly a miniature actuator, one of the most used every day by millions of people without them knowing it is in the engine of your car. It is the large combination of pistons, gears, cylinders and all the other components that make up an engine that creates the power necessary to move the vehicle where we want it to take us. The pistons move up and down by the force of the gasoline exploding in cylinders and the up and down movement drives the motor that makes the wheels turn. A very simple action when you get right down it, but very important and it can be quite complex on many levels.
The engine is a 'manufacturing' actuator but another one that is used frequently is the 'pneumatic' actuator. Some of these can qualify as a miniature actuator since they are often found in common household appliances. These actuators transform energy - usually electrical from a wall socket - into some form of movement. The movement may be linear or rotary depending on the application. Common examples include the vacuum generator inside a vacuum or the rotating whisks of a mixing machine. Without many people knowing it they are using actuators every day of their lives in a number of tasks. Life would be a lot more difficult if it was not for some the assistance that they give.
There are many other actuator types aside from the ones mentioned here. Some are truly an example of a miniature actuator while others are called actuators without even being a physical object in the technical sense. They are not just used in industry but by the average person every day. But even if you cannot remember what they all do as long as you remember the following: an actuator is a device that uses a force (electrical, movement or any other) to create movement.
