1. Home
  2. Electronics Design
  3. Solenoids in a matrix config.......

Solenoids in a matrix config.......

Hi,

I would like to get some help from you guy in a situation that I have found myself in.

I am looking for some small solenoids, either air or electronic ones, that can create around 3 or 4 pound pressure and can hold it for a couple of minutes. They would be setup in a matrix way and driven by a PC. I am clear on the way I like to use them, only I am not sure what is out there, and most of all, how cheaply is it possible to get!?

If the test would work and I can create the whole project that I am planning to use them for, I would need over 100 pieces of them!

They need to be only single directional one, so spring retraction is OK! In diameter, should not be more than 40 mm, yet the rod should be up to 150mm.

If I am too vague, is because I am only researching for now on the technology that I can use. Once I get some feedback, I should be able to be more specific in details and in needs?

Thanking to who ever gets back to me.

Reply to
skydiver
Loading thread data ...

The solenoids are probably going to cost you more than the interface. How large a matrix?

150mm > 40mm. Do you mean that you want to attach the solenoid to a pad?

Force? Stroke length? Number of solenoids? Activation time?

What sort of electronics/construction skills do you have (would buy be better than build). What sort of budget?

Reply to
Ian Stirling

Hi,

Thanks for your reply!

Basically at this point I am looking for some product to do an experiment, that would help me to design a bigger project later.

At this point in time, I would need to have a matrix, where I have a rod pressing up would, in about 4 cm apart.(Total of 36 pieces at this point) Each of them should have a capacity of 3 - 4 pound pressure and to be able to hold it for around 5 minutes at the time. Stroke length should be about 3cm andwould be nice to have three steps to get to the max length...

I have no need for a quick activation time, longest it is not more than seconds...

Skills are something I have to reactivate, it is nearly 20 years ago since I have done anything like this at Uni.... Buying is out of question, as I need to learn and constantly adjust things as I get to the next point of evolution of the project.

Cheapest possible, yet not something that would break down in every 5 minutes.

Cheers.

Reply to
skydiver

On 23 Jan 2005 18:50:25 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@bigfoot.com (skydiver) wroth:

If you can't spend any money, how are you going to do any of what you say you want to do?

That last requirment means that you really don't need a solenoid. A solenoid is an "all or nothing" type of actuator.

I think you need a "lead screw" actuator. One of those will operate rather slowly (a few seconds from all the way in to all the way out), you can stop it at *any* degree of extension, it will stay where you stop it forever using no power, and if you have a suitable motor, you can fabricate the rest of it with ordinary hand tools using parts you can find very easily and cheaply.

Jim

Reply to
James Meyer

The cheapest way I could think of of doing this would be to take a power screwdriver (I've bought these in the past for $4US (equivalent)), a bit of threaded rod, microswitches to set the limits, ...

Fabricate it all yourself, and you can probably get it to maybe $8/unit, or $300 or so.

It may be possible to substantially reduce this cost for large numbers, by having one actuator that can be connected to many in series. It's not going to be simple.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.