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PI currently offers several  types of long travel piezo linear motors and several types of short travel actuators such as flexure actuators, stack actuators, and bender actuators. The drive principle in piezo ceramic motors / actuators is intrinsically nonmagnetic and vacuum-compatible.

A precision linear actuator is a positioning device that provides linear motion in one axis (1 degree of freedom). PI designs and manufactures a variety of precision actuators (pushers) for high precision motion control, positioning and automation applications.

With a global growing need for more precision in automation and manufacturing, the demand for higher accuracy actuators keeps increasing across all industries where precise motion control is essential.

Actuator types include economical stepper-motor linear actuators, high-speed linear actuators based on frictionless, brushless linear motors, for performance automation applications and nanometer-precise piezo-motor linear actuators.

When high-speed linear motion with longer travel range up to 1m or more is required, brushless 3-phase linear motor actuators are recommended.

PiezoWalk® Linear Motor Actuatorsachieve holding forces to 800N and picometer range resolution; however they are more complex and typically used in high-end applications.

The operating principle of a PiezoWalk® linear motor actuator is similar to the principle of biological walking. Motion is generated through a succession of coordinated lift/forward/drop cycles of two or more “legs”. Each cycle can be controlled to provide steps from a few picometers to a few microns of linear motion. With repetition rates of up to 100’s of steps per second, continuous linear motion up to 15mm/sec can be achieved. These drives are preloaded, self-clamping and achieve exceptional life times. PI offers open-loop and closed-loop PiezoWalk linear motor actuators.

For more information on the differences between piezoelectric motors and piezoelectric linear actuators and their applications, refer to the piezo motion tutorial.

These closed-loop precision linear actuators provide high forces, high stiffness, and very fast response in the sub-millisecond range, with displacement typically in the 100µm range.

High performance precision linear actuators can be customized for force, speed, resolution and travel length to suit varying applications - like adjusting 798 quarter ton segments in the primary mirror of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) with nanometer accuracy in the extreme environment of the Chilean Atacama Desert, with a hybrid actuator design. More information

While there are many different types of precision motorized linear actuators, piezoelectric actuators are the first choice when accuracy, speed, responsiveness, and resolution are essential. Long travel, motorized, rodless actuators – often called linear stages – provide precision guidance and facilitate the mounting of objects.

To reduce power consumption and size, smaller rotary motors are often equipped with gear heads to provide higher torque and resolution, however at the cost of speed.

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Motorized linear actuators with built-in anti-rotation (non rotating tip) are easier to integrate and when used as pushers, do not generate torque or wear at the contact surface. An economical high precision stepper motor actuator controller is available as the C-663 Mercury Step.

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These classical captive motorized linear actuators convert rotary motion into linear motion by coupling a rotary motor to a lead screw or ball screw. They are available with closed-loop servo motors and, for lower cost applications with stepper motors.

Voice Coil Actuators are based on a single-phase, brushless electromagnetic linear motor similar to the driver of a loud-speaker. They provide high velocity with zero wear and motion ranges typically up to 1 inch. The V-273/5/7 high-speed, closed loop linear actuator family shown below come with a force sensor option, useful in applications such as switch testing or touch surface sensitivity analysis. The C-413 closed-loop voice coil actuator controller allows on-the-fly switching between force and position mode.

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Applications: biotechnology, nano-dispensing, microfluidics, valve control, fast switching and nanopositioning, optics, medical-devices, life-sciences

Motorized linear actuators with built-in anti-rotation (non-rotating tip) are easier to integrate and when used as pushers, do not generate torque or wear at the contact surface.  When long travel ranges, high velocity and long service life are required, rodless linear motor actuators can be the best choice.

Recirculating ball screw actuators (RBS) have lower friction and can provide higher velocity than lead screw actuators. Ball screws replace sliding friction with rolling friction. Lower friction also means less heat generation when operated at high duty cycles and high velocities. On the other hand, reduced friction also means lower holding forces of the linear actuator when powered off.

Lead-screw actuators provide high forces and can hold high loads with self-locking capabilities, while ball screw actuators are used for higher speed linear motion applications with longer service life. Position feedback is available with linear encoders and motor shaft mounted rotary encoders. Both types of actuators are based on a combination of an electromagnetic rotary motor with a mechanical screw.

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Captive Actuator and Non-captive Actuator Miniature Actuator VersionsThe N-422 is a non-captive compact actuator design with the shaft running through the linear motor, providing longer travel linear motion. The N-412 is a captive miniature actuator..

A linear actuator, sometimes referred to as a pusher, is a device that provides motion in one degree of freedom, however mostly unrestrained, in contrast to a linear stage which also comes with a guided platform. Here we are focusing on motorized precision actuators.

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There are many different types of linear actuators, consider the following factors when buying a motorized precision linear actuator:

Piezo ratchet actuators leverage the stick-slip effect to provide nanometric linear motion by turning a precision lead screw in very small increments. A special driver generates a quasi-saw tooth signal. PI offers open-loop and closed-loop piezo motor actuators.

Voice coil stages and actuators provide fast and precise motion in a compact package. PI provides many standard voice coil stages and actuators and also develops custom voice coil motors.

Amplified piezo flexure linear actuators provide friction free linear motion with sub-nm resolution and very fast response (millisecond and below). These types of linear actuators are used when short travel motion with extremely high precision and maintenance-free, virtually unlimited service life, is required.

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Precision actuators find applications in various industries and fields where accurate and controlled motion is required to test, measure, and automate processes. Some common applications include:

Piezo Motor Linear Actuators Stick-Slip Ratchet Type Piezo Motor Linear Actuators (Screw Drives) are often used for set & forget type adjustments, replacing  manual micrometers. They provide high resolution and holding forces, but low speed typically on the order of a few mm/minute.

Stick-Slip Direct-Drive Piezo Motor Linear Actuators (Mini-Rod Drives) are compact ceramic linear motors with forces to 10N and speed to 10 mm/sec.

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These compact, motorized miniature actuators require some kind external position feedback – the inertia motors provide linear motion with high resolution, but w/o an internal sensor exact position information is not provided. Unlike conventional stepper motor actuators, the step size in piezo inertia motor actuators is not equidistant.

These voice coil actuators uses frictionless bearings – either flexures for short travel, or air bearings for extremely straight guiding. Both drive and guiding systems are wear free and clean room compatible.

Piezoelectric translators (transducers) are precision ceramic actuators which convert electrical energy directly into linear motion with high speed, force and virtually unlimited resolution. These actuators are used in every modern high tech field from semiconductor test & inspection to super-resolution microscopy, bio-nanotechnology and astronomy/aerospace technology.