One of the most common questions, when people use linear actuators, is “why don’t my actuators move synchronously even if they are connected to the same power supply”. In some applications, it is not acceptable.
The safest way to ensure synchronous movement of two or more linear actuators is to install a synchronous control box. It ensures synchronous movement of your actuators. Such a box comes already in a plug-and-play version if you order one like on this website. Wire together your actuator system, connect it to the box and push the button. The actuators will start moving absolutely synchronously.
With a synchronous control box, you can control up to 4 actuators, they can work under any load. The good thing is that the system will auto-calibrate them automatically. No input from your side is required.
It sounds so good, doesn’t it? However, speaking about synchronous movement – where is it needed?
Track Linear Actuators for a Motorcycle Lift
The most common application of synchronous movement is in the motorcycle lift. It allows a technician to lift the device to perform check ups and maintenance & repair works from the bottom.
Why is synchronization needed though?
The movement precision is needed to ensure that the load is distributed correctly.
For example, we have a system that needs to push the load of 200 lbs. Say, you have two actuators with a force rating of 150 lbs each. So, their combined force rating is 300 lbs which is more than sufficient to push the load of 200 lbs.
However, the load shall be distributed evenly to enable the actuators to lift the motorcycle safely. To lift the motorcycle, the combined force or both actuators is needed. Therefore, it is a must to distribute the load between them evenly.
What happens if the motorcycle lift components aren’t synchronized? If actuators used for the system are powerful enough, it will result only in overloading of one component and its faster wearing out.
However, if the actuators are not powerful enough or if the motorcycle weight is too high, it might result in the breakage of one actuator if it receives a higher load than it might handle. In most cases, the lift movement will be blocked, and the motorcycle will not suffer any major damages.
However, there still a risk that the lift might break down completely. Then, the valuable vehicle will be severely damaged. If there was a mechanic working with it at the breakage time, their health and lives might be endangered, too.
Therefore, as you can see, synchronization is not just an odd word in the applications where it is needed. In most cases, on it, the health and live of people depends.
Carburetors Require Top Synchronization Level
Along with motorcycle lifts, synchronization is also crucial for proper operation of some internal motorcycle’s parts. For example, in motorcycle, if carburetors are not synchronized, you will get the lumpy idle. The throttle response won’t be accurate, and the engine won’t be able to work as expected. As soon as you see it happening, the issue might be in carburetors working asynchronously.
Some riders believe that once throttles are aligned, the synchronization is performed. It is far from the truth though. When we are synchronizing carburetors, we deal with vacuum syncing. It, approximates airflow, not the throttle position.
Airflow is the keyword here. It is determined by more than just a throttle position. To sync the airflow, throttles don’t have to be perfectly aligned, in most cases, they have not to be aligned actually.
It happens because in some cylinders, compression might slightly differ. Then, the ignition timing might differ, too. So, to compensate for the differences, throttles do not have to be perfectly aligned.
With all the modern items, carburetor syncing might be pretty tricky. All those parts are fragile, and there are just too many of them. So, if you haven’t decided yet to address this issue to a good mechanic, move on with it. Don’t forget though these six tips from professionals:
- Don’t watch the gauge. Why? When you start the engine, the reading will move. Whatever you do, the reading will move. Once you see that you are turning the screw the right direction, just forget the gauge until the last step.
- The smidge – never turn the screw for more than 1/16 of the entire turn.
- the locknut – loose it to allow the screw movement, not more. Yes, you have seen many times how professionals are doing it, they leave the locknut loose. But you aren’t a professional if you are reading it. so, just don’t leave it loose.
- Tighten the locknut snugly. Later, you will complete the screw adjustment. But for now, just snug it, it will not run away.
- Blip the throttle after each you touch to the sync adjuster with any tool. It is mandatory to do so.
- Read the gauge. Only now, you can do it. Why now? Because only now, you see the real readings. If you have done everything correctly, the readings will be the needed ones.
The process is pretty long, or at least it seems to be so. But this is the way professionals do it. while we know that you might feel temptation to short cut the process and skip some steps, don’t do it. Skipping any step would result in a long, time-demanding, and sometimes frustrating synchronization process.
As you can see, syncing carburetor isn’t an intuitive process. However, with some patience and attention, you can do it. That’s why the guide is here, actually, for you to read, and to follow it.
Some Words to Wrap up
As you can see, synchronous movement is crucial in some applications. What would you do and how would you feel if your motorcycle was lifted without the proper synchronization of motorcycle lift elements? Or how would the carburetor of your vehicle work if not synchronized properly? While synchronization sounds odd sometimes, it is inevitable in some high-precision systems and components.
