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IPT Engineering is the UK agent for Beck electric actuators. This page covers the Beck range. For our re-engineering experience, applications and services, see our Electric Actuators page.
Beck actuators use a different technology from conventional electric actuators, proven over nine decades in heavy industrial environments. The main benefits are:
Beck's low-speed, permanent-magnet "no-burnout" motor can never overheat, even when stalled or modulating continuously. There are no duty limits, no restriction on the number of starts, and no need to oversize the actuator.
The motor reaches full speed and torque in under 50 milliseconds and stops in 25 milliseconds, with no coasting or overshoot. Output steps as small as 0.1% of span give stable, repeatable control.
The motor, the all-spur gear train and the contactless position sensor have no routine maintenance requirements. The gear train is grease lubricated for life, so there is no oil to leak.
Wide-faced spur gears in heat treated alloy steel and ductile iron minimise wear-induced backlash. The precision machined aluminium housing is dust tight and weatherproof to Type 4X and IP68 (3 m for 48 hours), and operates from -40°C to 85°C at 100% relative humidity as standard. Beck drives are CE and UKCA certified, and ATEX versions are available.
The digital control module receives signals directly, so no contactors, relays or reversing starters are needed. The drive holds at least 200% of its rated torque when the motor is de-energised, and has mechanical hard stops and electrical overtravel limit switches.
Low power draw (typically 0.16 to 3 amps depending on model size), no routine maintenance and no need to oversize combine to reduce the cost of ownership over the life of the drive.
Any competent mechanical or electrical team can install and commission Beck drives, and no specialist tools or equipment are required.
Every Beck drive is sold complete with a three year warranty.
That cover comes with a design that has no routine maintenance requirements, so there is no maintenance programme to manage during the warranty period. Please contact us for the warranty terms.
Every Beck drive is built to order, so the correct instruction manual depends on the individual unit. Enter the serial number from the actuator's nameplate into Beck's serial number lookup to find the manual, specification and wiring details for that drive.
If the nameplate is missing or unreadable, or you need help with setup, spares or troubleshooting, contact us and we will help identify the drive.
Beck has a long record of supplying electric actuators to the water industry, particularly in the USA, and has supplied UK heavy industry, including power, glass, steel and energy from waste, since the late 1950s. IPT Engineering is the UK representative for Beck.
In the current AMP8 period, Ofwat has set clearer aims on reducing equipment failure and improving the value of assets. These include a shift from reactive to proactive maintenance, improved asset resilience by designing out weaknesses, and a balance of capital and operating expenditure over the whole life of the asset (TOTEX). Electric actuators on critical valves and dampers are now treated as critical reliability and control assets, because a failure can spread through the water network.
Conventional electric actuators with squirrel-cage induction motors need a high inrush current at every start, which generates heat. To protect the motor, the number of starts is limited, so on modulating duties the actuator is typically restricted to a start every 2 to 3 seconds, moves of about 1% of stroke and around 50% of nameplate torque. That limits PID loop performance, and can cause hunting, oscillation and poor set point tracking.
Worm gear drives add friction, heat, backlash and wear, and these actuators need regular inspection and maintenance, with rebuilds every 5 to 8 years in harsh duties. Oversizing to compensate adds cost, energy use and complexity over the life of the asset.
More precise, reliable control also supports the compliance and environmental requirements set by Ofwat and the Environment Agency.
We are happy to arrange discussions and product demonstrations for water companies and their contractors, to show how Beck actuators can meet your reliability and asset performance requirements.
Harold Beck & Sons was founded in 1936 and is based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA, where its actuators are designed and manufactured. Beck actuators are installed in more than 70 countries, and the company has been 100% employee-owned since 2021.
