Linear Actuator Design

Selected Linear Actuator: PA-04 Linear Actuator by Progressive Automations

-Load capacity of 400 lbs met our force requirements (>250 lbs)

-Speed (no load 0.98 in/s, full load 0.78 in/s) was close to our ideal speed (1 in/s)

-Stroke size (4 in) and dimensions when fully retracted (11.78 in) and fully extended (15.87 in) fit our design

Other actuators were either too slow to lift the patient comfortably, couldn’t generate enough force to lift as much weight as we needed, or too bulky to keep the brace a convenient size.

Calculations revealed that we need a 3 inch lever arm to produce the amount of torque required to lift our maximum patient weight