need source of inexpensive solenoids

[RWK]

I have a project I am working on where I need solenoids, and I am hoping someone here can help me source them. What I need is not a very complex, powerful, or fast device. These need to be inexpensive. so they have to be new and not scavenged, and I am hoping not more than a couple of dollars a piece.

stroke is short - maybe 5-10 mm. Pressure is small - perhaps 30-60 grams. Preferably operating at 5 volts, so control logic will be easy. The only tricky parameter is they need to be narrow...the mechanism shouldn't be more than 1cm in diameter or 1cm square, though length is not a particular issue, within reason (I am hoping I can get under 5 cm in length), I don't think that mounting has any particularly extraordinary requirements.

Speed and duty cycle are not a concern in the first version of the product, where 0.5 would be sufficient, maybe even a slower device would be okay, with a low duty cycle (perhaps 25 strokes per hour).

Second, better project needs to have a higher speed and duty cycle, 10-15 strokes per second for hours on end...though these times would be in a job of four hours, and then perhaps not used for days.

Noise is not particularly in issue, but in general, the quieter the better.

Ideally, I'd like to get a kit of a couple dozen models within the parameters I've described so I can experiment to see which model is most appropriate.

 

[hevans1944]

Have you looked on this Google results page?

 

[RWK]

Good search terms has lead me to some units which are in the right class of unit, but nothing quite right yet! Thanks!

 

[Bluejets]

Some commercial printers use small solenoids.
Usually mounted in a plastic rack of 6 units.
However none operate at 5v like you require.
Reason for this is, to keep them small, obviously the windings have to take up very little space.
Therefore they wind only minimum turns, run them at 24v BUT the signal is operated for only milliseconds at a time.
Maybe you could look for these as an alternative.

 

[RWK]

Some commercial printers use small solenoids.
Usually mounted in a plastic rack of 6 units.
However none operate at 5v like you require.
Reason for this is, to keep them small, obviously the windings have to take up very little space.
Therefore they wind only minimum turns, run them at 24v BUT the signal is operated for only milliseconds at a time.
Maybe you could look for these as an alternative.

That makes a lot of sense. 5V wasn't a hard requirement but rather a preference.

 

[RWK]

I should be more specific: these are for pushing buttons. They need a frame of 11mm or less, a throw of 2mm, perhaps as low as 1mm, and a ver some force, perhaps a quarter newton.