I’m working on a small desktop automation project where the actuator needs to stop within a fraction of a millimeter, and I keep running into drift issues. The micro actuator I’m using moves smoothly most of the time, but sometimes it overshoots slightly, which throws off the positioning of the whole mechanism. Has anyone experimented with precise feedback systems for micro actuators? I’m curious how people handle real-world tolerances without adding tons of complexity.

I ran into the same problem when building a mini robotic camera mount. What helped was using a micro actuator with built-in position feedback and connecting it to a controller that could interpret small changes accurately. I checked several options on https://www.progressiveautomations.com/pages/micro-linear-actuators to compare stroke lengths and feedback types. With the right setup, even tiny adjustments can be precise, and you don’t end up constantly recalibrating. It made a big difference in repeatability for my project.

I’ve noticed that a lot of small-scale systems feel much more stable once the feedback loop is tuned correctly. Even if the hardware is tiny, paying attention to sensor placement, noise in the signal, and how fast the control loop responds can drastically improve performance. Sometimes it’s not about changing parts but just optimizing how the system reads and reacts to the movement, which can save a lot of headaches down the line.