- Home » News » Technology News
Thumbnail-sized linear actuator weighs just 3 grammes
PiezoMotor, the Swedish specialist in piezoelectric-based micromotors, has announced a tiny actuator for applications in production automation, medical engineering and laboratories. The Link linear drive, which weighs just 3 grammes and is barely larger than a thumbnail, needs no gears and is ideal for applications with restricted installation space.
PiezoMotor developed the device with the aim of revolutionising medical engineering and lab automation. The company’s piezoelectric motors eliminate many of the elements needed for conventional electric motors and are thus ideal for miniaturisation.
The direct-drive linear actuator is aimed at applications requiring linear motions in tight spaces. By doing away with gears and shafts, it saves space and weight, is almost wear-free and needs little maintenance. It is suitable, for example, for complex dosing tasks such as those performed by insulin pumps or auto-injectors. These applications require energy-efficient technologies that are reliable and easy to control.
PiezoMotor says that actuator will also help to cut development times for applications such as micro-manipulators, diagnostics systems and microfluidic technologies.
The company, founded in 1998, has its own development and production facilities and employs about 35 people. It holds 60 patents. As well as being small and lightweight, its precision piezoelectric motors can be used in magnetic environments.
