Introduction To Linear Motors

Abstract A linear motor produces motion in a straight line directly, without the use of a crank or any other mechanism for converting rotary motion to linear motion. The history of linear motors goes back as far as the last decade of the nineteenth century. These machines were practically forgotten for nearly half a century, but there has been a genuine revival of interest in them since the 1950s. Although linear motors dispense with the need for gears, belts, etc., which are necessary to obtain linear motion from rotary motors, the latter are still preferred because of the wide range of speed and thrust that can be obtained with the help of gearing at an economic cost. However, it is envisaged that more and more direct-current (dc.) linear motors will be used in linear drive applications in the future.