For actuators our strategy is to follow market developments and anticipate changes in product design driven by emissions legislation worldwide. We follow these developments particularly closely with regard to turbocharger and exhaust gas recirculation technology.

The introduction in the EU of Euro 4 emission standards for passenger cars from January 2005 has created the need to equip new vehicles, both petrol and diesel, with even more stringent control systems. For many years Helical has designed and produced pressure driven actuators, which are used mainly on wastegated turbochargers.

More recently vacuum driven actuators have been required by turbocharger manufacturers, since these offer the more accurate control required by variable geometry technology.

A further development has been the introduction of pneumatic actuators fitted with electronic position sensors, providing feedback to the vehicle’s ECU.

View an animated video of features and functions.