A range of precision piezo motor technologies from PI
04 March 2014
A variety of different precision piezo motor technologies are available from manufacturer, PI, including ultrasonic, stick slip and stepping drives.
The properties of piezo motor drives, which include self-locking when powered down, compactness and zero jitter, make them suitable for applications where power consumption, space constraints or precision are critical. As such the drives have been used in photonics alignment work, battery operated metrology instrumentation and microscopy to name but a few.
A range of different piezo motor technologies are manufactured by PI, including ultrasonic, stick slip and stepping drives. The piezo material used in each design is produced by the PI group ensuring a quality and reliability of supply which is critical to the many industrial users of this technology.
Each technology involves controlled contact between two ceramic surfaces. The wear characteristics of the surface interaction have been assessed and optimised over a number of years of development ensuring that the lifetime for a given duty cycle can be accurately predicted. Where additional testing is required this is done as part of a prototype qualification process.
The drives are available as OEM components, as an open loop linear or rotary positioner or as a closed loop system including encoder feedback, controller and software. Although a range of standard products are available most industrial applications require a level of customisation. Custom designs are facilitated by the 100 strong engineering team of the company at PI’s headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany.
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