What Is a Captive Actuator?

What is a Captive Linear Actuator? Watch the video from AMETEK Haydon Kerk Pittman to find out. This is a captive actuator. It has a threaded drive screw held mostly inside the motor body, connected to a spline. It has built in anti-rotation through the use of a spline shaft that allows it to extend and retract as a unit with no requirements for additional anti-rotation. The captive actuator is designed for shorter strokes up to about 3”. The basic design is least tolerant of system misalignment, and is the most protected actuator style because it’s self contained. The captive has the longest basic body style.