As industrial automation and robotic applications continue to advance, the product forms of CTLA28 linear actuators in China have become increasingly diverse. When purchasing personnel and engineers are selecting models, they often find that for the same CTLA28 linear actuator in China, products from different manufacturers vary greatly in their structural forms: there are two-finger parallel opening and closing ones, ones that rotate around a pivot point, and ones where three fingers contract simultaneously... Which structure is suitable for your application? This article will disassemble and explain in detail the five mainstream types of CTLA28 linear actuators currently available on the market, clearly presenting their structural principles, advantages and disadvantages, and the best application scenarios.
1. Parallel opening and closing CTLA28 linear actuator (most common)
Structural principle
The parallel opening and closing gripper is the most widely used type of CTLA28 linear actuator in the market. The two gripper fingertips are driven by the transmission mechanism to perform symmetrical linear opening and closing movements along a direction parallel to the gripper body. No matter where they are opened or closed, the two fingertips always remain parallel.
Advantages
Good grasping stability: Parallel fingertips mean that the contact area on both sides of the workpiece is always consistent, the gripping force is distributed evenly, and it is less likely to slip or shift
Wide compatibility with workpieces: The same pair of fingertips can be compatible with different-sized workpieces, and there is no need to frequently replace them
Simple programming: The opening and closing stroke and force control parameters are intuitive, and the debugging cost is low
Rich product line: From micro-sized (with a few grams of gripping force) to heavy-duty (with hundreds of kilograms of gripping force), there are corresponding models available
Disadvantages
The structure is relatively large: To achieve parallel movement, internal gear racks or four-bar linkage transmission mechanisms are required, and the overall size is larger than that of the angular pendulum type.
The opening and closing stroke is limited: Due to the structural constraints, the maximum opening angle is usually limited, and it may not be sufficient for particularly large workpieces.
Typical applications
3C electronic component grasping, PCB board handling, small component assembly, laboratory automation
II. Angular Pendulum-type CTLA28 linear actuator China rotational opening and closing)
Structural principle
The two fingertips of the angular pendulum-type gripper rotate in an arc around a fixed pivot point, similar to the "pinching" action of the thumb and index finger. The motor drives the fingertips to rotate around the axis through a worm gear, worm, or gear mechanism.
Advantages
Compact structure: There is no complex parallel transmission mechanism, and the volume can be made smaller and lighter
Large opening and closing stroke: The rotational motion naturally has a large opening angle, suitable for grasping workpieces with a wide range of sizes
Relatively low cost: The structure is simple, and the manufacturing and assembly costs are low
Disadvantages
The grasping stability is not as good as the parallel type: when the fingertips make an arc motion, the angle of contact with the workpiece is changing, which is prone to uneven contact for square workpieces.
The direction of the clamping force changes with the angle: the opening and closing angle of the fingertips is different, and the force applied to the workpiece is also different, which is not conducive to precise grasping.
The fingertips are frequently replaced: different shapes of workpieces usually require custom fingertips of different shapes.
Typical applications
Grasping of bottle and can containers, picking up pipe materials and rods, simple transportation and sorting
Three, Two-finger CTLA28 linear actuator China (linear or oscillating)
Structural principle
Strictly speaking, the two-finger gripper is not an independent type, but a basic form classified by the number of fingertips. The most common parallel type and angular oscillation type mentioned above are both two-finger structures. The two fingertips perform symmetrical motion to complete opening and closing grasping.
Advantages
The structure is the simplest and the control is the most mature: the control logic of the two fingers is the most direct, and the driver algorithm is the most mature.
The product selection range is the widest: most of the CTLA28 linear actuator China products on the market are two-finger structures, and there is a large selection space.
Maintenance is convenient: there are few components, and fault detection and maintenance are simple.
Disadvantages
The grasping stability is limited by the two-point contact: for circular or irregularly shaped workpieces, the stability of the two contact points is not as good as that of three or more contact points.
Large-sized workpieces are prone to eccentricity: if the center of the workpiece is not on the centerline of the two fingertips, it is easy to cause rotation.
Typical applications
General grasping scenarios, the transportation and assembly of most standard workpieces
Four, Three-Finger CTLA28 Linear Actuator China (Self-centering Grasping)
Structural principle
The three-finger gripper has three fingertips, which are symmetrically distributed at 120° intervals. The three fingers contract or open outward simultaneously under the drive of the transmission mechanism. This structure inherently has a "self-centering" function - regardless of how the size of the workpiece changes, the center of the workpiece will always be located at the geometric center of the three fingers.
Advantages
High self-centering accuracy: The symmetrical structure of the three fingers ensures that the workpiece automatically aligns, especially suitable for grasping and assembly tasks that require precise centering
Best grasping stability: Three-point contact forms a stable triangular support, and the workpiece is less likely to slip or shift
Excellent grasping effect for circular workpieces: The three fingers simultaneously contact the outer wall of the circular workpiece, with good enveloping performance
Capable of grasping internal holes: Some three-finger grippers support reverse expansion actions, which can insert into the internal holes of the workpiece for internal support grasping
Disadvantages
Complex structure, high cost: Three sets of transmission mechanisms move synchronously, with high manufacturing precision requirements. The price is usually 2-4 times that of the two-fingered grippers of the same specification.
Poor adaptability for square workpieces: When three fingers have a symmetrical structure and grasp square or irregular workpieces, the distribution of contact points is not ideal.
Limited opening stroke: Limited by the three-finger linkage mechanism, the maximum opening angle is generally not as good as that of the two-finger gripper.
Typical applications
Motor rotor/stator grasping, flange transportation, pipe fitting internal support grasping, precise parts centering and assembly
Five. Multi-finger Bionic CTLA28 Linear Actuator China (Lively Hand)
Structural principle
The multi-finger bionic gripper is the most advanced type in the CTLA28 linear actuator China. It is usually equipped with 4-5 fingers, and each finger has multiple joints that can move independently or cooperatively. Its design is inspired by the human hand, striving to achieve the dexterous operation capabilities similar to those of a human hand at the robot's end.
Advantages
Highest operational flexibility: Can perform various complex hand movements such as grasping, pinching, holding, and pulling
Self-adaptive grasping: The multi-joint fingers can automatically fit the surfaces of different shapes of workpieces without the need to replace the fingertips
Extremely versatile: Theoretically, it can grasp almost any shape of object
Disadvantages
High cost: The multi-motor, multi-sensor, and multi-joint structure determines a high price, usually ranging from tens of thousands to tens of thousands of yuan.
Complex control algorithm: The coordinated control of multiple degrees of freedom requires extremely high computing power and algorithm proficiency for the controller.
Limited load capacity: To maintain flexibility, the finger structure is usually made relatively lightweight, resulting in a lower grasping force compared to dedicated grippers.
Reliability is still being verified: The product's maturity is relatively low, and there are not many large-scale industrial application cases.
CTLA28 linear actuator China https://www.changingtek-robotics.com/ctla28-electric-cylinder.html
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