Piezo motor walks round in circles
An
Unimatic Engineers product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Sep 20, 2004
A rotary version of the Piezo Legs motor is now available from Unimatic which is introducing it as a companion to the Piezo Legs linear motor/actuator.
A rotary version of the Piezo Legs motor is now available from Unimatic which is introducing it as a companion to the Piezo Legs linear motor/actuator.
It uses a similar operating principle to the original Piezo Legs linear motor, ie tiny piezoelectric legs are made to "walk", in this case driving around a shaft instead of creating linear motion.
Each leg is a made of a ceramic laminate cantilevered from a base plate.
When subjected to an electrical impulse the leg deflects rather like a bimetallic strip.
By sequencing the pulses to a number of legs, a walking effect is created.
Like the legs, the electrical impulse is very small - so small in fact that they cannot spark, even in an explosive atmosphere.
It is a characteristic of the piezoceramic material that the legs are bistable and will maintain both the resting and extended position with no need for a constant electrical signal, further enhancing the intrinsic safety of the motor.
The low speed performance of the motor is phenomenal, with one rotation per week being achievable while maintaining accuracy to one ten millionth of a turn.
Maximum speed is 20rev/min.
Torque output is up to 0.08Nm, representing a considerable power density considering that it is 32mm long and 23mm diameter.
With no gearbox and no minimal moving within the motor, a long maintenance-free working life is guaranteed.
Potential applications for the new motor include crystal growing, electronics manufacture and assembly, medical and robotic tools for micro surgery, intrinsically safe machinery for explosive atmospheres, hygienic and sterile environments etc.
Unimatic can provide detailed advice on the best use of this innovative product, as well as offering integrated electromechanical solutions to potential users of this new technology.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Unimatic Engineers
Related Stories
- Rodriguez releases latest Compacta geared motors
- Geeplus launches smallest voice coil motor
- Frequency inverter range available up to 22kW
- EISA-compliant motors now available in Europe
- Astrosyn develops DC motor for hostile conditions
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
