The History of Linear Actuators

Though we don’t know the exact date of the invention of the linear actuator, we do know that tools resembling modern linear actuators first started cropping up during the Industrial Revolution. By the 1800s, both American and British machinists and manufacturers were using linear actuator-dependent tools. Through the century, they were also inventing, refining and standardizing many basic linear actuator types and their close relatives.

Fast forward 100 years or so, and we can talk about the invention of the first electric actuator. In 1979, Bent Johnson invented it in order to improve the performance of a friend’s wheelchair. His invention caught on, and within a few years, it changed the face of automation. It spread to many different industries, most notably, agriculture.

Now, around 40 years later, we’re living in a world of highly refined actuators that range in size, all the way down to micro linear actuators, and complexity.