I think the OP's problem was not exactly not finding the right actuator, but having to retract after moving forward, which VMC doesn't do. I agree with dc42 that the project is entirely doable. The VMC doesn't need to know what it is hooked up to. If you intercept the power to the screw motor, and feed back to the VMC pulses that the screw motor would, you will trick the VMC. On the othe side of the story, you use arduino and motor shield to operate the actuator.
I suggest you borrow an oscilloscope to watch how the VMC works with a matching screw motor, with control voltage and pulse feedback. Then you finish the arduino screw motor simulation part so the VMC is happy. At the end, finish arduino control of actuator to complete the project.