Hello,
I'm a bit of an amateur as far as electronics are concerned (my background is civil engineering, not electrical!), but was hoping for some help with the following project:
I am trying to drive a linear actuator at variable speeds. PS - I am yet to make any equipment purchases as I wanted to get my research right beforehand.
The linear actuators I've been looking at state that the speed of the actuator is a function of the voltage up to 24v (i.e. the more voltage, the faster the slider moves). What I want to do is hook up a switch (a sliding switch - like a dimmer but not circular) that will control the voltage input to the actuator, in essence giving me mechanical control over the voltage. I've done some research on the subject but the electrical jargon which I'm not familiar with makes me think that some more knowledgeable input would be a big help.
Can anyone think of a better way to do this than the below?
Mains Input (240V) --> Stepped down to 24V using a transformer --> Voltage controlled via mechanical switch of some kind (any names???) --> Manual control (linear slider)
Any ideas are welcome!! (including switch names or suggestions as I'm not 100% familiar with electrical jargon)
I'm a bit of an amateur as far as electronics are concerned (my background is civil engineering, not electrical!), but was hoping for some help with the following project:
I am trying to drive a linear actuator at variable speeds. PS - I am yet to make any equipment purchases as I wanted to get my research right beforehand.
The linear actuators I've been looking at state that the speed of the actuator is a function of the voltage up to 24v (i.e. the more voltage, the faster the slider moves). What I want to do is hook up a switch (a sliding switch - like a dimmer but not circular) that will control the voltage input to the actuator, in essence giving me mechanical control over the voltage. I've done some research on the subject but the electrical jargon which I'm not familiar with makes me think that some more knowledgeable input would be a big help.
Can anyone think of a better way to do this than the below?
Mains Input (240V) --> Stepped down to 24V using a transformer --> Voltage controlled via mechanical switch of some kind (any names???) --> Manual control (linear slider)
Any ideas are welcome!! (including switch names or suggestions as I'm not 100% familiar with electrical jargon)