Custom Actuators

At Tolomatic, we welcome the opportunity to create a custom actuator, custom caliper brake, custom gearbox or any other type of motion control device that fits in our area of expertise. Think of custom design as starting with a blank page, much as those original designers needed to do for the first computer, the first automobile, or even the first wagon wheel. The break from standard to custom products is often difficult for a company because of the unusual mixture of talents necessary to pull it off well. The ability to tackle custom work requires that a company have a strong design engineering department, a group of people who are willing to think, as they say, out-of-the-box.

Customized Product for the Material Handling Industry

A material handling company needed an actuator for a flying cut-off operation. How fast the nip roll could move down, make the cut, and get back up out of the way without interrupting the material flow was limiting the line speed of the process.

Lift and Telescope Cylinder for Automated Polishing Process

During an automated polishing process, the customer needed to remove particulate from a horizontal wheel on an interval based solely on the quality of the material surface finish. What the customer needed to do was to lift and extend, and lower and retract a wiper blade. The design’s requirements included a lift adjustable between 0.050 and 0.125 inch, capable of lifting 15 lbs., and applying an adjustable down force of 1 to 5 lbs. The extension required was 5 inches, however, the retracted footprint could be no more than 5 inches.

Peristaltic Rotary Actuator

For the company that required 24 in-lbs of torque in a package of less than 1 inch in height and a diameter of less than 5 inches, a peristaltic rotary actuator was the answer. The actuator was being used in an environment that required it to be leak free. Mounting requirements were also unique in that the actuator was required to accept a mounting shaft. Both initial tooling costs as well as product costs were extremely sensitive in this application.