Engineering selection and product sourcing
Thomson
Thomson is a linear motion manufacturer with roots in 1936, now part of the Linear Motion Division of Regal Rexnord. Its UK office at Caddsdown Business Park, Bideford is the main EMEA customer support centre, on +44 1271 334 500 and thomson.europe@regalrexnord.com.
UK engineering team · Product sourcing · Supply support
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Need Thomson parts, a replacement or another suitable option? Send your part number or describe what the machine needs to do. We connect your requirement with experienced UK engineering and procurement support to help you get the right products, pricing and supply options. Your matched provider can take the enquiry through quotation and ordering to delivery and after-sales support.
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| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Founder | John B. Thomson Sr. |
| Owner / parent | Regal Rexnord Corporation (Linear Motion Division) |
| Headquarters | Radford, Virginia 24141, United States |
| Stock listing | NYSE: RRX (Regal Rexnord Corporation) |
| Website | thomsonlinear.com/en |
Manufacturer information and published contact details
Thomson contact details
Thomson Americas office (USA, Canada, Mexico)
203A West Rock RoadRadford, Virginia 24141
United States
Telephone +1 540 633 3549
Website thomsonlinear.com/en
UK office and EMEA customer support centre
Caddsdown Blue, Caddsdown Business ParkBideford EX39 3GB
United Kingdom
Telephone +44 1271 334 500
Germany: Thomson Neff Industries GmbH
Nürtinger Straße 7072649 Wolfschlugen
Germany
Telephone +49 7022 504 403
Parent company: Regal Rexnord Corporation
111 W Michigan StMilwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
United States
Telephone +1 608 364 8800
Contact details as published by Regal Rexnord, checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with Regal Rexnord.
Thomson product lines
| Electric linear actuators | Electrak industrial and mobile actuators, plus precision and rodless actuators |
|---|---|
| Linear bearings and shafting | Ball bushing bearings, 60 Case shafting and RoundRail guides |
| Profile rail bearings | Profile rail linear guides |
| Ball and lead screws | Ball screws, lead screws and roller screws |
| Linear motion systems | Ready-built linear units and multi-axis systems |
| Lifting columns and screw jacks | Telescopic lifting columns and mechanical screw jacks |
Who Thomson is
Thomson is one of the long-established names in linear motion. It makes the bearings, guides, screws and actuators that turn rotary power into controlled straight-line movement, and it is particularly well known in the UK for the Electrak family of electric linear actuators fitted to agricultural, construction and materials handling machines, as well as to industrial equipment.
Thomson is part of Regal Rexnord, the American motors and power transmission group. Thomson describes itself as forming Regal Rexnord’s Linear Motion Division together with Nook Industries and Delevan. Thomson is a trademark of its owner.
History and ownership
Thomson dates its origins to 1936. It credits John B. Thomson Sr. with inventing the Linear Ball Bushing bearing and, with it, anti-friction linear technology. The company also says it introduced the first recirculating ball screw on a 1955 Chevrolet and developed a thread-rolling process for ball screw manufacture.
Electric actuators have been part of the range for nearly 60 years, according to Thomson, and the Electrak family was launched in 1982. The latest generation, including the Electrak XD, integrates the motor, gearing, screw and control electronics in one housing.
Ownership has changed over the decades. Today Thomson belongs to Regal Rexnord Corporation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as RRX. Regal Rexnord says it was formed in 2021 by the merger of Regal Beloit and Rexnord Industries, and that Altra Industrial Motion Corporation joined the group in 2023. Regal Rexnord reports more than 50 brands and around 30,000 associates worldwide.
Product portfolio
The Thomson actuator series we list are:
- Electrak mobile and industrial actuators: Electrak HD, Electrak XD, Electrak MD, Electrak 1, Electrak 10 and Electrak 050.
- Heavy-duty and special actuators: Max Jac, Whispertrak and Warner K2 B-Track.
- Industrial rod-style actuators: PC Series.
- Rodless linear units: WM Powerline and WH Speedline.
- Stepper-driven linear actuators: MLA stepper actuators.
Thomson’s wider catalogue covers linear ball bushing bearings, 60 Case shafting, RoundRail guides, profile rail bearings, ball screws, lead screws and roller screws, ball splines, precision balls, linear motion systems, robot transfer units, lifting columns, screw jacks, control panels and resolvers. For selection help, see our linear actuators hub and the guide to sizing a linear actuator.
What Thomson is known for technically
Thomson’s reputation rests on two areas. The first is rolling-element linear technology: the ball bushing bearing and its shafting, and the ball screw, where Thomson claims early firsts. The second is the self-contained electric actuator for mobile machinery. Electrak models are built for outdoor duty, with sealed housings and wide temperature ranges. The Electrak XD is a good example of the current generation: Thomson publishes dynamic loads up to 25,000 N, ingress ratings up to IP69K, an operating range of -40 to 85 °C, 24 or 48 Vdc input, and onboard controls for controllability and diagnostics. Moving the control electronics into the actuator removes external relays and limit switches, and lets one unit replace a small hydraulic cylinder with its pump, valves and hoses.
When specifying an Electrak-style actuator, check the dynamic and static load, stroke and retracted length, speed at load, duty cycle, supply voltage, the IP rating and temperature range required, and which onboard control and feedback options you need.
Industries served
Thomson lists industrial automation, medical, mobile off-highway, material handling, transportation, robotics, and aerospace and defence. Across those markets, electric linear actuators of this kind typically adjust implements and machine settings on mobile equipment, open and close hatches, vents and covers, position beds, chairs and patient-handling equipment, and drive slower automation axes where a pneumatic cylinder would otherwise be used.
What to check when replacing a Thomson actuator
On replacement work, the part number tells you less than the duty. Record the stroke, retracted and extended lengths between mounting centres, rear and front clevis or pin sizes, load in both directions, speed, supply voltage, any feedback (potentiometer, encoder or limit switch outputs) and the connector. Check the IP and temperature rating needed at the mounting position, not just the machine’s general environment. Those details decide whether a direct swap or a near-equivalent is possible.
Global and UK presence
Thomson lists sites across North America, Europe and Asia, including Radford in Virginia, Wolfschlugen in Germany, Kristianstad in Sweden, and offices in China, South Korea, India and Brazil. In the UK, its site in Bideford, North Devon, founded in 1994, is described as the main centre for customer support in the EMEA region. Thomson products are also sold through distributors, which its website lists by region.
Specify Motion and Thomson
Specify Motion is independent of Thomson and Regal Rexnord and is not a distributor for either. We can help you source Thomson parts where available, or propose equivalents from our supply network that meet the same published specification, confirmed by an engineer. See our page on alternatives to Thomson actuators or use find a replacement with your current part number.
Contact details at a glance
- UK office: Caddsdown Blue, Caddsdown Business Park, Bideford EX39 3GB
- UK phone: +44 1271 334 500
- Email (Europe): thomson.europe@regalrexnord.com
- Americas office: 203A West Rock Road, Radford, VA 24141, USA, +1 540 633 3549
- Website: thomsonlinear.com
Contact details were taken from Thomson’s and Regal Rexnord’s own websites on 30 October 2026.
Thomson history: key dates
- 1936Thomson dates its origins to 1936; John B. Thomson Sr. invented the Linear Ball Bushing bearing
- 1955Thomson says it introduced the first recirculating ball screw on a 1955 Chevrolet
- 1982Electrak family of electric linear actuators introduced
- 1994Bideford, UK site founded, later the main EMEA customer support centre
- 2018Beijing sales and service office opened
- 2021Regal Beloit and Rexnord Industries merge to form Regal Rexnord
- 2023Altra Industrial Motion Corporation joins Regal Rexnord
Thomson linear actuators
Electrak HD
Heavy-duty 12/24/48 V DC ball-screw rod actuator with optional onboard control electronics, sealed for outdoor mobile machinery and positioned as an alternative to small hydraulics.
Electrak XD
Thomson's highest-force 24/48 V DC rod actuator, using a ball screw and onboard monitoring electronics to reach 25 kN with a higher duty cycle than the HD.
Electrak MD
Medium-duty 12/24 V DC lead-screw actuator with the same sealing as the HD, offered with low-level switching, position feedback and CAN bus options.
Electrak 1 / Electrak 1SP
Small sealed acme-screw DC actuator for light intermittent duty, available with limit switches (Electrak 1) or a potentiometer feedback version (1SP).
Electrak 050 (E050)
Compact, quiet, low-cost worm-drive DC actuator with a short retracted length, suited to medical and office equipment.
Electrak 10
Older general-purpose DC rod actuator offered with acme or ball screw up to 6.8 kN; Thomson now files it under legacy products.
Max Jac
Light-duty 12/24 V DC actuator built for exposure to mud, salt water and high-pressure washdown, offered with worm or ball screw and analogue or encoder feedback.
WhisperTrak
Quiet acme-screw DC actuator designed to medical electrical safety standards for patient handling and mobility products, up to 4,000 N; Thomson still publishes its product page in the legacy section.
Warner Linear B-Track K2
Rugged rod actuator from the Warner Linear range with acme or ball screw, DC or single-phase AC motors and optional integrated limit and feedback controls.
PC Series precision linear actuators
Ball-screw rod-style servo actuator in three square profile sizes, for high-speed precise positioning and pneumatic cylinder replacement, with inline or parallel motor mounting.
WM (POWERLINE) linear units
Ball-screw driven, ball-rail guided rodless linear modules in aluminium profiles for stiff, precise long-stroke axes, with a belt-driven WMZ variant for higher speed.
WH (SPEEDLINE) linear units
Belt-driven, wheel-guided rodless linear modules for very fast, high-acceleration transfer axes, with stainless washdown versions and a WHZ vertical-axis variant.
MLA motorized lead screw actuator (stepper motor linear actuators)
Fully housed stepper-motor lead-screw actuator with built-in anti-rotation, part of Thomson's MLS/MLN/MLA motorised lead screw family for small precise positioning.
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