Car Actuators – Go lighter, quieter, and corrosion-resistant

By Erin Kemal

You may be surprised at the complexity of car actuators. These are constantly working secretly to convert energy into movement. This can be for a multitude of functions and operations, such as ensuring airflow, providing power to the throttle and even the simple movement of adjusting a seat.

There are strict requirements for these components, especially in the automotive and aerospace industries: noise restrictions, weight restrictions and reliability. Even with such specialized requirements, igus® thrives on these challenges

We develop and produce self-lubricating components for innovative solutions in these industries. One focus product right now is car actuators. These are used in length, height and tilt seat adjustments, in lumbar supports, locking systems, window regulators, sliding roofs, rear view cameras, engine thermal management or lighting systems. For applications such as these, we use our iglide® plain bearings, dryspin® lead screws and lead screw nuts, as well as gears and gearing components driven and controlled by our automation components within our product range. We manufacture standard and custom lead screw components as well as fully constructed car actuators.

Our lead screws are designed and patented to match our lead screw nuts. These products can be used in both interior and exterior components within the automotive industry, and of course have the usual dry-running, maintenance-free attributes igus® products are known for.


What are polymer car actuators three main benefits?

Polymer car actuators yield three main benefits:

  • Noise reduction
  • Corrosion resistance
  • High efficiency

Noise reduction

dryspin lead screw system in a car

Reduce noise and vibration with our lead screws, which utilize self-lubricating polymer nuts to reduce noise compared to metal on metal, where grease is often the only dampener. In applications such as a seat adjustment, squeaking is the last thing you want to hear. With self-lubricating products, noise is never a problem.

Corrosion resistance

dryspin lead screw system in a car

dryspin® lead screws in active aero surfaces are designed to be corrosion-resistant with fast deployment under dynamic load. Tested and proven in arduous conditions. Being corrosion-resistant ensures that the wear is limited with no contamination. This is vital in car exteriors. Anything that moves automatically, must be getting the power from somewhere.

High efficiency lead screw drives

dryspin lead screw system in a car

Guaranteed efficiencies of up to 82% and a service life that is up to 30% longer than conventional lead screw drives. A quiet and smooth adjustment with igus® lead screws in center consoles is cleaner, more reliable and can reduce time spent on design.


Automating actions and mechanisms to streamline movement and gain the maximum possible efficiency is becoming extremely important. Linear actuators offer endless opportunities to accomplish this. They have become essential within the design, and more commonly in recent times, the electrification of interior mechanisms, automating all essential functions and providing many possibilities for improvement and innovation. When designing vehicles, it is essential that the right actuator is chosen.  Having the option of products that are efficient, quiet, self-lubricating and corrosion-free, you are already creating a finished article that is lighter, more cost-effective and reliable.

dryspin lead screw systems in two cars

Have further questions about our linear automotive solutions? You can contact a drylin® expert here, or call us at 800-965-2496.

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