Ideal in industrial applications and in various process systems, actuators are devices that operate the valves remotely, without the intervention of a direct operator. The energy source that operates the valve can be electric (mains or battery) or pneumatic (compressed air).
The movement that is transmitted can result in a rotary or linear movement of the shutter. In the rotary movement, a quarter of a turn is enough to operate the valve and this is the case with ball and butterfly valves; in linear movement, on the other hand, the shutter is raised and lowered, as happens in gate and globe valves.