Vacuum and Clean-RoomCompatible Piezoelectric actuators employceramic elements that do not need any lubricants and exhib- it no wear or abrasion. Thismakes them clean-room com-patible and ideally suited for

Tutorial

Advantages of Piezoelectric Actuators

Unlimited Resolution No Magnetic Fields Low Power Consumption A piezoelectric actuator canproduce extremely fine posi- tion changes down to the sub- nanometer range. The smallest changes in operating voltage are converted into smooth movements. Motion is notinfluenced by striction/frictionor threshold voltages. Large Force Generation Piezoelectric actuators areespecially well-suited for appli- cations where magnetic fields cannot be tolerated. For ex- treme requirements, PI Cera- mic is able to deliver assem- blies which have no measura-ble remnant magnetism. The piezoelectric effect directlyconverts electrical energy intomotion, absorbing electrical energy during movement only. Static operation, even holding heavy loads, does not con- sume power. No Wear and Tear Piezoelectric actuators cangenerate a force of several10,000 N. PI Ceramic offers units that can bear loads up to several tons and position with- in a range of more than 100 µm A piezoelectric actuator hasneither gears nor rotating shafts. Its displacement isbased on pure solid-stateeffects and exhibits no wear and tear. PI Ceramic has con- ducted endurance tests on actuators in which no change in performance was observed after several billion cycles. ultra-high-vacuum applications.

Piezo · Nano · Positioning

Operation at Cryogenic Temperatures The piezoelectric effect isbased on electric fields andfunctions down to almost zero kelvin, albeit at reduced specifi- cations. with sub-nanometer resolution. Rapid Response Piezoelectric actuators offer the fastest response time available. Microsecond time constantsand acceleration rates of more than 10,000 g’s can be obtained.
. Tube designDesign of a PZT stack actuatorParallel bimorph and serial bimorph 37