Integrated electronic controls in actuators at Automate

How to eliminate external drive enclosures, reduce field wiring and speed up commissioning times
Aug. 14, 2026
2 min read
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Key Highlights

  • PBC Linear is expanding its linear motion lineup with heavy-duty, belt-driven actuators capable of handling travel distances up to 6 m and payloads up to 8,000 lb.
  • By embedding control electronics directly into rod-style electric actuators to replace fluid power, controls engineers can implement a cabinet-free motion strategy that cuts field wiring and speeds up commissioning.
  • Machine design demands treating linear axis selection as a system-level decision, though many engineering specification habits have yet to adjust to this shift.

From the exhibition floor at the 2026 Automate Show in Chicago, Tom Ouelette, vice president of mechatronics at PBC Linear, introduces the company's latest expansions in linear motion and integrated drive technologies. He highlights heavy-duty, belt-driven actuators equipped with multiple profile support rails capable of delivering travel distances up to 6 m and supporting payloads up to 8,000 lb. Designed specifically for machine builders seeking robust mechanical foundations, these systems are paired with an expanded selection of motor and gearbox options to streamline power transmission across heavy-duty machinery builds.

Tom Ouelette at Automate 2026

Ouelette showcases PBC Linear's ongoing push to embed control electronics directly across theactuator portfolio. He details the new line of rod-style electric actuators equipped with integrated controls, specifically engineered to replace traditional fluid power solutions like pneumatics and small hydraulic cylinders. By embedding control electronics directly at the actuator, these smart units offer controls engineers a simplified, cabinet-free motion strategy that eliminates external drive enclosures, reduces field wiring and speeds up commissioning times on modern OEM equipment.

Ouelette also co-wrote an article with Andy Zaske about how denser machines, distributed control and a call for smarter components have turned the linear axis into a system-level decision, but, in many cases, specification habits haven’t caught up.

About the Author

Mike Bacidore
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Mike Bacidore

Editor in Chief

Mike Bacidore is chief editor of Control Design and has been an integral part of the Endeavor Business Media editorial team since 2007. Previously, he was editorial director at Hughes Communications and a portfolio manager of the human resources and labor law areas at Wolters Kluwer. Bacidore holds a BA from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is an award-winning columnist, earning multiple regional and national awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He may be reached at [email protected] 

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