TECHNOLOGY
Piezo actuator
An actuator is a device that converts electrical energy into kinetic energy. A piezo actuator does that using the inverse piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric element, and it has six properties that set it apart from other types.
High resolution
A piezoelectric element expands and contracts smoothly with the applied voltage, so a piezo actuator resolves down to the nanometre range. In principle the resolution is limited only by the precision of the applied voltage. That precision is used in fine positioning and semiconductor manufacturing. Our Piezo Assist Motor resolves to better than 25 nm.
High speed operation
Piezo actuators respond in under one millisecond. That speed is used to remove foreign objects from food and to inspect for defects, which reduces waste as well as raising throughput. Our MechaTrans MTKK10S300F120PS has overcome the small displacement problem, magnifying movement several tens of times, and still reaches its full 300 µm and returns to zero in under one millisecond. The Piezo Assist Motor delivers 13 mm or more of travel and can be driven up to 2,000 times per second.
Small size, large force
The element itself expands under voltage, so the actuator needs essentially no moving parts and is easy to miniaturize. It still produces a great deal of force. The Piezo Assist Motor measures 61 x 31 x 15.1 mm and weighs about 50 g, yet has a load capacity above 29.4 N and drives a 3 kg load.
Low energy consumption
For the same amount of work, a piezo actuator uses less energy than other types such as solenoids, because it converts electrical energy into mechanical energy directly. Hold the voltage constant and it will hold a load at rest with almost no power draw.
High durability
With essentially no moving parts there is little to wear out. Our Piezo Assist Motor has passed more than one billion drive cycles in testing.
No cams or reduction gears
Unlike an electric motor, a piezo actuator with a displacement magnification mechanism produces linear motion from simple parts, with no cam mechanism or gearbox. That makes the whole assembly smaller and more reliable.
Piezo Assist and PiezoAssist are registered trademarks of Mechano Transformer Corporation.
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