Actuator works in high magnetic fields and in vacuum.

Press Release Summary:




Based on PiezoWalk® drive principle, NEXLINE® all ceramic, high-force, high stiffness linear actuators provide pushing/holding forces to 600 N and resolution of <0.1 nm. When at rest, zero-drift automatic locking maintains position to nanometer level precision with no heat dissipation or electrical power consumption. Actuators are available with standard 20 mm travel.



Original Press Release:



High Resolution Actuators Align Mirrors on Large Telescope



Auburn, MA, - March 2006 - PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P., a leading manufacturer of nanopositioning and precision motion-control equipment for optics, semiconductor and life science applications offers a new type of high-force, sub-nanometer resolution linear actuator, that could take large segmented-mirror telescopes to the next level of precision.

Actuators for Southern African Large Telescope (SALT).
PI has a proven track record with the astronomy community. More than 270 of it's M-235 series based motorized high-resolution actuators are currently being employed in the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). According to officials, SALT is the largest single telescope in the southern hemisphere, with a hexagonal mirror array 11 meters across. The M-235 based actuators can provide resolution in the 0.1 µm range and forces of 100 N (22 lbs) and above.

Next Generation Actuators Provide Higher Resolution & Stiffness
PI now also offers a new generation of ultra-high-performance actuators, dubbed NEXLINE®. They is based on the patented PiezoWalk® drive principle that offers the unique combination of theoretically unlimited travel range with high mechanical stiffness and the atomic resolution of piezo actuators.

The all-ceramic, high-stiffness NEXLINE® actuators provide pushing / holding forces to 600 N (130 lbs) and resolution better than 0.1 nanometer. Due to zero-drift automatic locking when at rest, they can maintain a position to nanometer level precision for weeks, while dissipating no heat and consuming no electrical power at all. Due to the high stiffness, the actuators can also be run in a special analog mode for active vibration cancellation and dithering.

Standard actuators with up to 20 mm travel are readily available, but custom and OEM units with much longer travel are feasible. NEXLINE® also works in high magnetic fields and in a vacuum.

These highly reliable drives won a Technology Innovation Showcase award at the SEMICON West 2005, and have proven themselves many times over in the semiconductor industry.

Features & Advantages:
o Very high resolution, <0.1 nanometer, high force generation to 600 N
o High stiffness (resonant frequencies of 100's of Hz) allows the construction of very stiff structures and helps to suppress vibration
o Special operating mode for active vibration cancellation and dithering
o Autolocking: can hold a stable position to nanometer level in power-off mode
o Very rugged: NEXLINE® drives can survive shock loads of several g
o Flexibility: NEXLINE® drives are available as OEM motors, packaged actuators and integrated into complex multi-axis positioning systems hexapods

East Coast Contact
Jim Gareau
Tel: (508) 832-3456
Fax: (508) 832-0506
Email: info@pi-usa.us

West Coast Contact:
David Steinberg
Tel: (714) 850-9305
Fax: (714) 850-9307
Email: info@pi-usa.us

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