Thomson Industries Inc. has expanded its WhisperTrak actuator line to give motion system designers greater ability to extend quiet, compact actuation to more demanding applications. New additions to the WhisperTrak linear actuator line double force-handling capability from 2kN to 4kN; provide higher-speed operation at 2kN; and offer new options for low-level switching, limit switching and position control at both 2kN and 4kN operation.

"We had initially developed the WhisperTrak line for lower-load applications that benefit from a sleek, compact design, such as patient handling, personal mobility and office operations," said Travis Gilmer, Thomson product line specialist. "When system designers saw the whole package, though, they wanted it for higher-force applications as well. To deliver that, we doubled the available load capacity and bundled in some of the advanced onboard electronics capabilities we have been advancing across all of our product lines. The result is a quiet, intelligent actuator with extremely high power density."

The 4kN WhisperTrak offering is rated for 4kN (900 lbs.) with load speed at 4 mm/sec (0.16 in./sec). The 2kN version is rated for 2,000kN (450 lbs.) with load speeds of up to 8 mm/s (0.31 in./sec). All models can be specified for 12- or 24-volt input with stroke lengths available between 100 and 500 mm (3.94 to 19.69 in.).