Low Power Consumption No Wear and Tear Static operation, even holdingheavy loads for long periods, con-
sumes virtually no power. A piezo
actuator behaves very much like an
electrical
capacitor. When at rest,
no heat is generated. A piezo actuator has no movingparts like gears or bearings. Its dis-
placement is based on solid statedynamics and shows no wear andtear. PI has conducted endurance
tests on piezo actuators in which
no measurable change in perform-
ance was observed after several
billion cycles. Vacuum and Clean RoomCompatible
Piezoelectric actuators neithercause wear nor require lubricants.The new PICMA
Pro p erties / A pp lications
s
Fast Expansion Unlimited Resolution Piezo actuators react in a matter ofmicroseconds. Acceleration rates
of more than 10,000 g can be ob-
tained. Piezoelectric actuator High Force Generation s convertelectrical energy directly to me-
chanical energy. They make mo-
tion in the sub-nanometer range
possible. There are no moving
parts in contact with each other to
limit resolution. Operation at CryogenicTemperatures High-load piezo actuators capableof moving loads of several tons are
available today. They can covertravel ranges of several 100 µmwith resolutions in the sub-na-
nometer range (see examples like
the P-056, in the “Piezo Actuators”
section). No Magnetic Fields The piezoelectric effect continuesto operate even at temperatures
close to 0 kelvin. PI offers speciallyprepared actuators for use at cryo-genic temperatures. The piezoelectric effect is related toelectric fields. Piezo actuators do
not produce magnetic fields nor
are they affected by them. Piezodevices are especially well suitedfor applications where magnetic
fields cannot be tolerated.
nano positioner s, large(e.g. for precision machining), medium (e.g. forinterferometry), small (e.g. for data storage
medium testing) ® actuators with
ceramic insulation have no poly-mer coating and are thus ideal for
UHV (ultra-high vacuum) applica-
tions.
Applications for Piezo electric Positioning Technology
Features of Piezoelectric Positioning system
Data Storage Wear compensation Scanning
microscopy MR head testing Needle-valve actuation Auto focus systems Spin stands
Micropumps Interferometry Disk testing Linear drives Fiber optic alignment Active vibration cancellation Knife edge control in extrusion
tools Fiber optics switching Pole-tip recession test Adaptive and active optics Micro
engraving systems Laser tuning Semiconductors, Microelectronics Shock wave generation Stimulation of vibrations Nano & Microlithography Life Science, Medical Technology Nanometrologie Scanning microscopy Wafer and mask positioning Patch clamp Critical-dimension-test Nanoliter pumps
Inspection systems Gene manipulation Active vibration cancellation Micromanipulation Cell penetration Precision Mechanics
Microdispensers Fast tool servos Non-circular grinding, drilling,
turning Optics, Photonics,Nanometrologie Active vibration cancellation Scanning mirrors Structural deformation Image stabilization, pixel multiplication
© PI 1998-2005. Subject to change w/o notice. Cat 118 05/09.17 Tool adjustment
Selection of piezo nanopositioning stages
Piezoelectric 4-4