Precise Slide Gate Control with RACO Electric Actuators

Slide Gate Application Uses, Types and Requirements

Various manufacturing facilities require that slide gates be integrated into their processes. These gates commonly are used to control and regulate the flow of bulk materials. A slide blade, or gate, is positioned either fully open, fully closed, or anywhere in between when precise flow of the dry mix is required. This mix can be dry bulk solids such as powders, pellets, granules, or grains. These slide gates, usually made of metal, typically open and close horizontally or vertically, and are mounted perpendicular to the material flow. They can be used with common conveyors, screw conveyors, bins, hoppers, and silos. Industry applications include plastics, mining, grain, chemical, food processing, pharmaceutical, cement, sugar, and other plants.

The slide gate movement must be controlled by a reliable and highly precise linear actuator. When mixing or dosing, it is critical to the process that gate position be held for exact flow of product, under load. Closed loop position control of the actuator and slide gate is paramount to ensure an ideal product mix. Additionally, the actuator must be able to keep the slide gate fully open or fully closed during any safety related event or while maintenance is being performed on the line. RACO manufactures both, belt driven and screw type actuators for any of these applications, with selection dependent on the amount of precision needed and the actual thrust force required.

RACO MA Actuator

RACO LM Actuator

RACO Electric Linear Actuator Facts:

Over 60 years of experience globally
Thrust capabilities from 70 lbs. - 270,000 lbs.
Stroke lengths up to 20 feet
Speeds from 0.5"/sec. to 30"/sec.
Complete line of standard controls, feedback devices, and other options
Environmentally friendly – No oils or fluids that will leak
Energy efficient – Only using electricity when moving 

RACO Linear Electric Actuator Solutions – Large and Small Applications

No slide gate application is too small and probably not too large. Our thrust capabilities cover the whole spectrum. We have ACME and Ball Screw driven linear packages in our MA (Modular Actuator) Series and have belt driven linear actuators in our LM Series.

Corrosive, dusty, and high temperature ambient conditions are applications most suitable for our MA (Modular Actuator) Series, as we have the housing and enclosure options necessary to withstand those environments. Whereas the LM Series is better suited for slide gates with lower thrust requirements and / or cleaner environments. Regardless of the actuator model, RACO does not take shortcuts in their design. Building a robust, precision based linear actuator is our core strength and we have an extensive customer base to back this up. An actuator is a critical component in any mixing, slide gate process. It cannot be a weak link in keeping these applications running. RACO has the history and experience in many long-running, successful slide gate applications.