T-Series/Installation-Mechanical/Linear Actuators

Mounting

When mounting a Zaber linear actuator, care must be taken not to over-constrain the leadscrew. At the point of contact between the leadscrew and the object to be moved there are 6 degrees of freedom which can be constrained: translation along xyz axes and rotation about those axes. The load should constrain only the axial translation of the leadscrew. The simplest way to achieve this is to have the lead screw press against a flat surface perpendicular to the axis of the leadscrew. Any further constraint (such as rigidly fixing the leadscrew to the load) may result in an over-constrained system that will reduce thrust or cause the leadscrew to bind.

You can mount the actuator by sliding the 9.5mm mounting shank through the hole on a translation stage (like our TSB stages). Tighten a clamp around the shank or secure the included 3/8-32 screw on the other side of the hole. Some actuators also have mounting holes on the side or bottom of the actuator, and come with mounting screws.

Grounding

To prevent damage to the device due to static buildup, the device should be properly grounded.

Failure to ground the unit may result in the unit shutting down unexpectedly or ceasing to communicate with the computer. This problem can be minimized by not touching the unit during operation. If the unit fails due to static discharge, unplugging it and plugging it back in or sending a Restore Settings command will usually fix the problem.

Most Zaber devices are grounded via the shield wire of the data cables. This should normally provide a path to ground via the computer. For units which are being used without a computer, a ground lead should be connected to the shield of one of the data cables.