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Solenoids are a great way to induce linear motion for pushing, pulling or controlling switches and levers. According to the datasheet this solenoid is rated for 36V but they work like a charm at 12V. We've been controlling them with the Arduino Power Driver Shield, there's even some example code below. With a throw of 10mm these solenoids are great for all kinds of motion applications such as actuating door latches, automating percussion instruments or just poking people.
At 12 volts these Solenoids draw 650mA, while at 36 volts they draw 1.85A.
Note: The datasheet indicates a throw of 25mm however we've measured a throw of 10mm.
Solenoid - 36v Product Help and Resources
Resources & Going Further
To control the solenoid from a microcontroller, you'll need to add a flyback diode and a MOSFET/Relay. For more information, check out the application circuit in our diodes tutorial. The solenoid will simply be added as a load on the MOSFET or relay of your choice.
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Current draw
This solenoid draws 0.64A at 12 volts and 1.85A at 36 volts. These are designed to be energized for brief periods of time and will overheat if left energized at 36 volts for indefinitely.
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Customer Reviews
5 out of 5
Based on 4 ratings:
7 of 7 found this helpful:
Compared to other smaller solenoids around the web for the same price, this guy wins!
I needed 800 solenoids last spring, for SXSW, and this was the winner in price, strength, weatherproofing, and capability.
Of the other two types we had to use, this guy is the only one who didn't complain. We had them rained on, spray painted even, and taking 12-36v. The other two types used from [unnamed] electronics competitor, complained and wouldn't budge with 12v, rusted in the rain, spray paint stopped them from moving, but not with this guy kept on moving at 12v, 24v, and 36v. Did NOT rust, didn't care about sticky paint. Solid design.
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These solenoids work well
Apply power, the plunger activates. Remove power, the spring returns the plunger to the starting posistion.
A solid solenoid
it's a great, reliable piece of machinery, and is awesome for beginners (like me) I generally loved it. except it's really heavy only downside
Hi there, I'm really interested in use one of these solenoids as an oscillatory force source, I have read that it heats when it remains on continuously, in my case I will use it oscillating from activation duty cycles that can go from 0.33 Hz to 10 Hz, therefore I would like to know if with this solenoid I can reach these frequencies, thanks in advance.
I recently purchased one of these units and I'm impressed with the build quality and amount of force that can be generated applying 24v. However, I have some questions. Can anyone tell me what the metal(s) the case and push bar are made with? I know the core is probably a ferrous metal but the exterior components appear to be something else. I think the case may be stainless and the push bar brass (color is different). I'm asking because I'm trying to use these units in a device I'm making where the case and push bar will be touching other metal components in an environment that may have some moisture and I'm concerned about corrosion due to different metals reacting with one another. I could probably paint the case but the push bar is another matter. I also need to attach some kind shaft adapter to the push bar to offset it by a few mm so that it will strike the appropriate area. Has anyone used or made a shaft adapter with an offset that would work in that kind of application? Thanks in advance.
do we have any idea how these hold up outdoors? exposed to moisture?
What is the thread pitch on those tapped mounting holes?
Just tested the threaded holes on the ones I received today. I was able to fit both an M3 and a 4-40. But, the M3 was a little more snug, and being that the data sheet is in metric, I'd probably guess that they were tapped as M3's.
What units is the force in? PSI? Pounds? Grams? Newtons?
See the datasheet, there are figures for g of pull at various stroke distances.
Can you help me, what does 3200g means?
g is grams. "1mm / 3200g" means that the energized solenoid could close from a stroke distance of 1mm while lifting a maximum of 3200 grams (3.2 kg) of weight. Any more weight than that, or a longer stroke, and it won't be able to pull closed. Longer strokes support less weight because the core is further away from the magnetic coil and won't be able to generate as much attractive force.
I am running these solenoids at 16V. At that voltage they draw about 0.4 amps. However, they get very hot after being on for a few minutes. Seems like they would surely burn up at 36V. Is there a time limit for the on state?
Hi, is it possible to buy spare solenoid heads ( i just received the new edition and it's metal wether i like old plastic ones), then is it possible to get stronger springs? ( I use 48v cc and it works great but need more spring resistance to be faster, ...) best ben
Would this be a good item to perform action that move back/forth up/down? Like continuously stamping or saw movement or sewing movement.
I am new to this kind of stuff but I am looking for some type of small solenoid that has an actuator that would be able to launch a tennis ball about two or three feet. I need this to be small and I need to have remote access. I am planning on using this for training purposes with my dog. Any help or knowledge would be extremely helpful. Thanks
As far as solenoid control goes, I've heard that pulsing the solenoid will allow it to operate better at lower power. Anyone have any insight on this?
I don't see it on the datasheet but is there any way to know whats the inductance/resistance for the solenoids coil?
Hi. I'm looking for ideas on how to get this solenoid the right amount of voltage. I admittedly know very little, so I got three A23 batteries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A23_battery), and wired them in series, but I've still got a very, very weak response from the solenoid. Why didn't this work?
Can it be used to push a bolt in a door like this and keep it there, and then maybe pull it so the door can be opened and keep it pulled for a long time ?
Basically I'm looking for something that can be put in two states. "Pushed" and "pulled". And remain in a state for an undefinite ammount of time.
YES! ok, i am a noob so please be gentle Lets assume i want to use this and am using this wiring diagram http://playground.arduino.cc/uploads/Learning/solenoid_driver.pdf This solenoid (according to the data sheet) is; 36V, 2.7A, 100W !!! I am open to any advice on selecting components for (the full 36v); 1) The diode? 2) The transistor? 3) The resistor? Many thanks - Philip . . . :)
Hello, I wanted to see if he can impose a peak voltage of about 150 V, for a fraction of a second, to perform a blow hard and fast? since in the datasheet nothing appears peak voltage that supports ... thank you!
If you had 24V or even 12V solenoids, I would buy 100 units plus several TLC5940, for my piano project, but high current 36V power supplies are rare and sick expensive. 12V batteries x 3 is just an uncomfortable option I refuse.
So I take it you arent aware that you can run a solenoid rated for 36v just fine at 12v`s
You should know that a solenoid working at 1/3 of it's rated voltaje, runs slow and weak. That issue for a piano project is useless, just like running a motor will run slower than at 100%.- Thanks for your comment anyway.
Video force units? "900" means nothing to me.
Need... to make... pinball machine...
Is this driven by PWM or can you just send current through it to engage the solenoid, say from a 9v battery?
Are these solenoids continuous duty?
Could I get some idea of the actual amount of force this outputs at various voltages? Say, at 5, 12, and 36?
Would 5 volts be enough to push a small button? I'm trying to avoid additional power supply.
Give the video in the description a watch. It will activate at 5 volts, but it won't have near the linear force as it would at max voltage.
Any ideas what would cause these solenoids to get "sticky"? We've using one of these with an Arduino board, and noticed that after continued use it doesn't want to release. Running consecutively at 30V after about 50 times it started to have a problem.
As we kept testing to see what the problem was, the "sticking" got worse, to the point where it would happen every time. We then tested another of the same type of solenoid on the same circuit and was working fine.
Any ideas?
I suppose it is possible that you've magnetized the plunger, lol.
If so... in theory... you may be able to help the problem by flipping the polarity of the coil and cycling it that way a few times. Of course even if this did work I guess it would only remain neutral for a few cycles before becoming magnetized again the other way...
The best way to deal with this common problem is to add a beefier return spring, the plunger will never become so magnetized that it will become useless so crank the voltage to compensate for the added mechanical resistance if necessary. Good luck!
describe 'sticky'.
are you over-saturating the coil? i'm not even sure if that's something that's even possible...
I'm working with andyinabox. By 'sticky', we mean it doesn't release when the applied voltage (30V) is removed. The stickiness was present with a 15V power supply as well, so I don't believe it has to do with over-saturating the coil (I'm also not sure if that's possible).
When the solenoid is stuck, a very gentle nudge is all it takes to release it... we're considering simply trying a stronger spring. But it seems weird that it sticks at all.
Try some lube.
Could somebody plaese tell me what the weight of this part is, as I couldn't find this information in the datasheet?
11.672 ounces.
where did you get the force sensor? I want one that is accurate?
Are there any max time, due how long it can be energized? Im thinking about using it for a lock mechanism, so it will be energized for longer periods during weekends and holidays. Or would it be better to "invert" it so lock is open when its energized?
It depends on whether you want it to default to the locked position or the open position. With this as the deadbolt, it'd fail (when the power is broken) to the unlocked position.
Personally, I'd prefer it to fail in the unlocked position if it was a egress door as if there was a fire or natural disaster, I'd want my doors to actually let me leave. Your housing code may also require this.
CUE: 2001 The Space Odyssey : Open the pod doors, HAL..... I can't let you do that Dave.......
Except that then when the power goes off, people can steal your stuff. There are solutions that provide the best of both worlds - power to open the door so that the solenoid isn't permanently powered up, and a manual override to release the lock from inside if the power fails. That is, of course, what happens with a powered strike plate - the handle itself remains "stock" so you can always use the door as designed.
what current does it consume? important to know for power source and driver selection
oh!, I reply myself: RTFM!!! = 2.7 A
i never played with these but a idea hit me ...if you remove the rod cant this like shoot metal balls?
This is a tricky thing to do. It's called a coil gun and essentially what you're trying to do is pull the ball toward the center of the coil and then shut it off so that as the ball passes through the center of the field it doesn't begin to slow down again. and get stuck to the coil. Because the ball needs a "running start," as it were, you'll want a coil with two open ends, this solenoid has a taper to it so it wouldn't do well for a coil gun. Many coil guns require large banks of capacitors to quickly energize and then disengage the coil, these can be hacked from disposable camera flashes. Have a look around YouTube and be safe!
That's called a coil gun.
Depends on your definition of 'shoot' really. It's unlikely this solenoid would be able to propel a metal ball with any velocity high enough to qualify for my definition of shoot.
Yes you could but then you're destroying a solenoid you paid $15 for. It would be cheaper just to buy a spool of magnet wire and make your own coil.
I've never tried it, but theoretically, yes. from what I understand, as current moves through the coils, a magnetic force flows perpendicular to the current (which would be through the middle of the coil). This is what pulls the plunger.
I would love to see these supplied with the indicated 25mm throw along side the 10mm version. I have use for both and finding a solenoid supplier I'm comfortable ordering from is turning out to be a unique challenge. That and it's always my preference to support Sparkfun rather than another supplier!
Are you sure about that 25mm throw? That'd be nearly 1 inch. Judging by the third picture and also today's new products video, it looks like the throw is a lot closer to 14mm, or just over 1/2 inch.
We'll check into it.
Might be that the rod is 25mm when fully extended... but part of it is sticking out when it's unenergized. Throw would be just how much is sticking out the BACK up to the stop, so yeah looks more like 14mm-ish.
please add the type of solenoid in the description eg. push or pull
It depends on which way you polarize it. Solenoids are push by default, but you can reverse the current to make it pull.
Not really. It has a spring on it that returns it back to a set position. It's a push type.
All of my solenoids are push and pull. I guess yours is different then.
The plunger is made of steel or some other ferrous metal. It has no permanent magnetic field. Consequently, when a magnetic field of either polarity is applied, an opposite field is induced in the metal.
This causes the plunger rod to be pulled into the coil regardless of the polarity of the field.
The spring is there to push the rod back out of the coil once power is removed.
On a different note, this item looks like a good opportunity to teach beginners about Back EMF and the value of protection diodes on driver transistors.
Apparently my solenoids have permanent magnets in their shafts.
I agree on all counts... reversing current to a solenoid doesn't change them from push to pull... it's "attracting a ferrous metal into a magnetic field" not "attracting or repelling a permanent magnet based on the polarity of an induced electromagnetic field"...
Turn it around and fasten something to the other side (where the spring and retaining ring is) and it magically becomes a pull type.
Outside the box, people. ;)
Push Solenoid: Apply voltage to make it push
Pull Solenoid: Apply voltage to make it pull
This is a push type. Pull types generally do not have a spring.
Yes you could reverse it, but this is not it's intended use. The thick side of the plunger is the butt.
If I use this Solenoid with 32V - 940ma, can I upload the force by using more Amps? - - Where can I buy a non expensive power supply in order to have the 36V - 2.7A? I use it “On” for few secs (2-3) & “Off” for a long period (15-20 minutes), can I use more V in order to have more force?
can I plug this into the wall with some adapter to get the full 36 v?
I am wondering the same thing, if a guy does not have a desktop power supply what is the best way to get sufficient voltage to this thing?
Hi I use that kind of power supply : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lambda-48V-Regulated-Power-Supply-LFS-40-48-NEW-/321388982811?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad446b21b
higher voltage gives more percussion but allows less full on activation time cos it warms up faster