Technical Videos

Often the ideal design solution is not about finding the fastest, sturdiest, most accurate or even the least expensive option. Rather, the ideal solution is the optimal balance of performance, life and cost.

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Electric Linear Actuators are often subjected to very nasty environments.  Whether it is dust, dirt, sand, or water, you need to have confidence that it will hold up to the intended environment.

Electric Linear Actuators are designed to handle loads axially.  One of the common failures of Linear Actuators is side-loading - a force perpendicular to the axis of rotation.  The longer the stroke, the more susceptible the actuator is to binding or a bent screw.

What is smart actuation and how can your applications benefit from it? Hakan Persson, the Global Product Line Director for Actuators at Thomson, walks you through the makings of a smart electromechanical actuator, its integrated electronics, where it is best applied and three Thomson actuator families offering these solutions.

The Thomson Electrak HD in designing, manufacturing, and supporting industrial linear actuators.  Through the ever-changing environments, the customer wants higher loads, longer strokes, and adjustable controls.

Explore new technology optimized for pneumatic to electric conversions to reduce energy costs and simplify your machine design. The detailed technical overview in this video illustrates how the new PC-Series can deliver improved power density, travel life and side load capabilities not found elsewhere.

Grain bins, auger carts and seed tenders have many hydraulic and manual operations that can benefit from simple, clean and maintenance free electric actuators.

See the difference between hydraulics and electric actuators for the folding of the auger, pivoting of the spout, and opening of hatches. 

The synchronization option, available with Thomson Electrak HD linear actuators, enables Spika Design and Manufacturing to offer their customers work platforms with improved performance, functionality and safety. 

Thomson Electrak® HD linear actuators have benefited Tribine Harvester's groundbreaking design. Implemented in the concaves around the rotor and grain bin extensions, these components were selected because of their communication across a CAN bus network, dynamic braking and many other smart features. 

Shortened version of the full-length Tribine Harvester success story video.

Learn more about the Thomson H-Track electro-hydraulic actuator, which incorporates a patented fluid power design that provides high load capability for extreme duty use, a more compact pin to pin than other actuators of the same load capability, excellent ingress protection and corrosion resistance. 

Meet the Thomson Electrak® XD electric linear actuator. It is strong enough to take on new hydraulic applications while, at the same time, be smarter, smaller and more efficient than competitive technologies. This model represents a new level of load-handling capability, tackling loads up to 25,000 N. Duty cycle up to 100%, strokes up to 1200 mm and speeds up to 75 mm/s highlight its performance. How can the XD revolutionize your next design project?  Learn more here

When it comes to Thomson electric linear actuators, both ball screws and lead screws are used in their designs. Which one depends on the requirements of your application. Watch this video to learn more.

The trend of using electric linear actuators in machines using motion control is strong and growing. In addition to the benefits of simplicity, cleanliness, safety, space consciousness and cost saving, newer capabilities in controllability, power, shock load dampening and regen have made electrification a no-brainer for designers.

Here at Thomson, we have customers who are frequently looking to replace worn ball screw assemblies but they don’t know what kind of assembly they have.  I will show you how to identify your existing ball screw assembly.

This video provides an overview of the anatomy and installation of ball screws. It covers the function of ball screws in application design as well as the components of a ball screw assembly and of a ball nut. Also included is a demonstration of the installation of a ball nut onto a screw and the ball bearing insertion process in the event that some bearings fall out during installation.

With a history of global success spanning almost a century, Thomson ball screws have thrived thanks to their high quality, long-life performance and our reliable support. This video covers Thomson ball screw production processes, selection, customization options, applications, online resources and more.

After watching, ask yourself, "What can Thomson ball screws do for me?"

The newest breakthrough in linear motion technology, the Glide Screw combines the best features of linear bearings & lead screws in order to deliver high performance, less complexity, fast installation, and lower total cost of ownership.

Automated diagnostic instruments continue to grow in importance in today's laboratories and hospitals. Space is at a premium in these facilities and the Glide Screw™ enables more compact designs. Watch how the Glide Screw can offer silent and maintenance free performance, minimizing service calls and maximizing instrument availability.

These three attributes are important because the combination of any of them, in addition to the screw diameter, will impact the load capacity and efficiency of the lead screw.

For applications requiring precise movements, backlash is important to understand as it can cause positional errors. 

Learn how PolyTetraFluroEthylene (PTFE), a solid film lubricant applied to lead screws, can enhance the lubricity of your assembly and eliminate the need for service intervals.

Thomson introduces the benefits of synchronizing multiple lifting columns using a single control device.  This video shows how to zero-out the encoder feedback devices on all columns - even with offset loading.  Can be used in applications such as large ergonomic workstations or medical table beds.

Watch this video to learn about the many configurations of Thomson pillow blocks available and which ones are right for your linear motion designs. Try our product finder tool to discover your ideal solution at https://www.thomsonlinear.com/en/products/linear-bearings-products

In your linear motion applications, adjustable diameter linear ball bushing bearings can help you achieve higher precision. View this video to learn how. Use our linear bearing product finder tool to quickly find your ideal component at https://www.thomsonlinear.com/en/products/linear-bearings-products

Learn how to prevent unplanned down time with preventative linear bearing maintenance.

Size and select your the ideal linear motion system for your next design: https://www.linearmotioneering.com/

The WM family has a unique feature of an internal movable ball screw support, which allows for long lengths and high speeds.  The WM Units where stiffness, rigidity, and/or precision may be required.

Thomson introduces the benefits of the WH SpeedLine wheel guided, belt-driven linear motion system.  These units are ideal for high speed applications with multiple orientations or multiple axis configurations.  They come in 50 and 120 mm profile widths and can reach 10 m/s with a stroke length up to 11 meters.

Thomson introduces the benefits of the Movopart M75 belt driven, prism guide unit that is set up with a wash down option.  The prism guides are an engineered polymer that slide along the extrusion.  These types of bearings are ideal for shock loads, low noise, or have a wash down or caustic environment.

Thomson engineers show customers our products in action. From shafting and supports, to round and square rail guides, to linear motion systems and slide tables, to ball and lead screws, to linear bearings and pillow blocks, Thomson demonstrates how our products excel as the best solution in a wide array of industrial applications.

See the MovoTrak CTU in action, including its groundbreaking collision detection, free drive programming mode and many other features.

See the MovoTrak CTU in action, including its groundbreaking collision detection, freedrive programming mode and many other features.

Once your MovoTrak CTU is installed, follow along with this video to configure the collision detection settings and program the 7th axis.

Step inside Thomson Precision Ball Company and see how its ISO 9001:2015-certified facility, A2LA-accredited laboratory and experienced employees have helped it become a trusted precision ball manufacturer for 75 years and counting.   

Ryan Thomas, Thomson Linear Rail Product Line Manager, demonstrates performance differences between square rails and round rails and discusses how these differences impact performance in various applications. Covered in this video are topics of deflection and alignment and how design application limits help determine the best type of rail for the application.

Delivering high reliability and life expectancy under varying operating conditions, Thomson and Nook screw jacks are optimal for applications that require high speed, vibration, shock loading, precise positioning requirements and high torsional loads. In this video, learn what goes into making our high-quality screw jacks and how they can be your next linear motion solution.

Shaft supports are needed for mounting round shafting to be used as a linear guide. Watch this video to learn about the different styles and how you can use them in your designs. See Thomson's full selection of shaft supports - https://www.thomsonlinear.com/en/products/shafting-products

With the special machining add-on to the Thomson online shafting selector tool, the burden of creating 2D drawings is relieved, and the amount of time needed to specify the machined shaft is dramatically reduced. 

Try the online shafting selector tool and special machining add-on at https://www.thomsonlinear.com/en/products/shafting

For any cases in which your machining configurations don't fall within the scope of our tool's options, Thomson application engineers are always ready to provide fast help.

Precision lead screws can be combined with a stepper motor in a number of ways. At Thomson, we offer three configurations of stepper motor linear actuators to meet the various needs of our customers' applications. Learn more about them and discover which of them can benefit your linear motion designs. 

Rotary encoders, which Thomson integrates into its stepper motor linear actuators, can benefit your linear motion applications by providing digital signals for monitoring or controlling speed, direction, distance or position.