Glossary

Adjustment speed
The speed with which an actuator adjusts from one point to another.
Actuator
The technical actuator is the constructive unit which drives a machine by means of energy transformation. Generally this is a motor with possibly necessary
gear drive.

Bathtub lifter
Bathtub lifters are lifters, which are developed especially for the bathtubs use in order to mobilise disabled persons by means of electrical systems.

Blocking force
Is the maximum force, which can be applied to an actuator without moving or modifying its position.

Cable plug
For an efficient and economical use flexible power cords are often not connected fix but separable by means of a plug. Power cables are plugged together by means of a plug connection.

Capacitor
A capacitor has the possibility to save electric loads and coherent energy. One of the most common constructions of the capacitor consists of two smooth plates with electric connections, the electrodes. Between the plates there is an area with isolating characteristics, the dielectric.

Control
Controls render workflows or control processes of devices acc. to a determined plan.

Country versions
Thereby the possibility is given, to offer several electric parts in different countries. E.g. the fitting plug for the power connection in the US. Technical devices in different voltage executions. Naturally all operating devices in different languages.

Deep discharge
Deep discharge of an accumulator means the complete current discharge until final exhaustion of the load capacity of an accumulator.

DIN-plug
A DIN (DIN = Deutsche Industrie-Norm; German industry standard) plug is a cylindrical connector, which corresponds to the standards DIN 41524 (3-and 5-pole), 45322 (5-pole with 60° distance), 45326 (8-pole) and 45329 (7-pole) (replaced by EN 60130-9). In the field of electrical system and electronics they are used for different purposes and mainly used in the industry in Europe. The round metal housing has a diameter of 13 mm in front and contains 3 to 14 contact pins.

Direct circuit
Here no relay is used and an electrically operated component is directly actuated.

Electric smog
Electric smog or E-Smog describes colloquially radiations due to electrical, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. Generally the term illustrates the negative effects of these fields for people and environment.

First failure safety
By means of the first failure safety it is guaranteed, that no first and thus single failure can occur.

Hall effect
Is the appearance of electric voltage in a current passed through conductor, which is situated in a stationary magnetic field.

Hall sensor (memory)
A semiconductor device named after Edwin Hall. It utilizes the Hall effect, in order to measure magnetic fields and currents. If a Hall sensor is flown through by a current and brought into a magnetic field, which flows vertically, it delivers an output voltage, which is in proportion to the product of magnetic field strength and current. Supports positioning of actuators.

Hand control hook
A fixing device for a hand control so that you can fix it for example at a hospital bed or a transporting apparatus (i.e. wheelchair).

High current shutoff
Serves to switch off an actuator automatically in case of exceeding the allowed current or voltage values.

Input voltage
Is the voltage, which is measured at the power input of a device.

Installation dimensions
A measure which indicates the dimension that is required in order to install an actuator in medical applications.

Lead acid gel accumulator
An accumulator technology, in which electrones consist in loaded status of lead, lead dioxide and electrolytes of diluted sulphuric acid. They have a long life-time cycle.

Mains-frequency alternating fields
Between conductors or conductor plates so called mains-frequency alternating fields arise. They are electrically or magnetically changing fields, which are caused by alternating current.

MNA Mechanical emergency lowering
It will allow the manual lowering of a lifting actuator, if it is locked due to a defect, i.e. power failure.

Nurse control
An extra locking system for a separately controllable operating system. So that the responsible caregivers (nurses) can switch off the system separately.

Output voltage
Is the voltage which is measured at the power output of a device.

(Person/patient) lifter
Person lifters serve to mobilise for example a handicapped person. By means of an electrical lifter a certain weight can be easily moved without big effort.

Pressure force
The effect of a force on a surface is called pressure force. A negative pressure force corresponds to a tractive force.

Primary fuse
For electrical devices with several fuses the first one is always the primary fuse.

Protection class
Every electrical equipment can be scaled in four protection classes. In DIN EN 61140 (VDE 0140-1) the protection classes from 0-4 are determined. The higher the protection class, the more the component is isolated and the higher is the protection against electric voltage when touching.

PU power line
Polyurethane (PU) is a high-quality and flexible material, which reaches an especially high density. It is resistant to wear and especially in demand for the production of medical-technology based products.

Relay circuit
A relay is an electromagnetic switch, which is operated by electric current. It is remote controllable and has normally two switch positions. The electromechanic components are activated by means of a control circuit and can switch further circuits. Relay circuits are used e.g. in order to switch in a control circuit with low electric power a circuit with high power.

Self-locking
Is a term in the mechanics and describes the resistance caused by friction against slipping or distortion of two adjoining bodies. If the stiction is exceeded, they are no longer self-locking.

SMPS switched-mode-power-supply
A switching power supply which switches an unstabilised input voltage (direct current or AC voltage) to direct current on another level. Unlike voltage regulators the effectiveness of a switching power supply is higher.

Spindle nut
The spindle nut used in the linear technology, also called movement nut, is a component of a trapezoidal screw, ball screw or roller screw. It consists of a parent body with incorporated ball recirculating, a ball return channel and so called return tubes, which are made of steel or plastics acc. to type.

Stand-by current
Primarily the stand-by current serves to change to a stand-by mode when the electrical device is not used/operated in order to save power. (In the stand-by mode an electrical device is set to idle state. Most of the electronical components are switched off in order to save power. But a part remains in the so called sleep mode in order to set the device in the operating mode as soon as possible.)

Stroke/stroke length
The vertical movement of an actuator from below to above is referred to as stroke. The stroke length is the distance from the minimum to maximum position of the actuator.

Switching power supplies
Switching power supplies serve to convert certain voltages.

Torque
Basically the torque is a force which works on something. It can turn bodies around an axis or deform them otherwise. The unit of the torque is indicated always in newtonmeter.

Tractive force
A force, which pulls something, is called tractive force. A negative tractive force corresponds to a pressure force.

Transformer
A transformer is based on the basic principle of the electromagnetic in connection with the electromagnetic induction. It transfers electrical energy between two circuits, which are flown through by alternating current. There are transformers from one thousandth of Volt ampere up to several 100 tons of heavy units, with several millions VA, for network of national mains.

Type of protection or degree of protection
(example IP x4, IP x6)
Indicates the suitability of electrical actuators for different environmental conditions and serves as protection of persons against potential risks when using electrical devices. The labelling with the type of protection always starts with the letters IP, followed by a double-digit number. It indicates the scope of protection, which a housing gives to the inside component against touching or the contact with a foreign object (first figure) and against entering of humidity (second figure). If one figure must not be indicated resp. its indication concerning the component makes no sense, an “x” is indicated instead of that. IP x4 e.g. indicates the protection against all side plash water, IP x 6 the protection against high-pressure jet water as e.g. in a wash plant.

Voltage commutation
Serves as commutation of different required voltages.