Piezo actuators use ceramic insulation
A
Lambda Photometrics product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 6, 2004
Engineers at PI and PI Ceramic have achieved a breakthrough in the manufacture of nano-actuators: the world's first piezoelectric multilayer actuators with ceramic insulation.
Engineers at PI and PI Ceramic have achieved a breakthrough in the manufacture of nano-actuators: the world's first piezoelectric multilayer actuators with ceramic insulation.
The PICMA (PI ceramic monolithic multilayer actuator) generation of actuators is based on new ceramic material and new production technology.
This means that polymer-film insulation is no longer required, and the actuators can operate reliably at temperatures ranging up to 150C, much higher than the 80C limit found with conventional multilayer actuators.
The ceramic insulation means that PICMA actuators are significantly less susceptible to environmental influences than other piezoelectric actuators and therefore have a much longer lifetime, especially when used under extreme conditions such as high humidity.
Their positioning resolution is in the sub-nanometer range and their response time lies in the microsecond range.
These new actuators have a high degree of flatness outer surface making them well suited to the mounting of optical fibres or optical sensors.
They have a higher dynamic load rating than conventional piezoelectric actuators and they are 100% vacuum compatible with no insulation outgassing.
The PICMA actuators are ideal for closed loop operation and the application of strain gauge sensors.
Typical applications include nanopositioning, fibre optic positioning, laser and component tuning, high-speed switching, scanning microscopy, active optics, micropumps, microdosage, biotechnology, high-speed valves, metrology, interferometry.
A large variety of high-speed, digital and analogue low-noise, open and closed-loop controllers (bench-top, rack-mount and OEM modules) is available to suit any need or budget.
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