Low-Profile Piezoelectric Inertial Linear Actuator for High-Power Applications.

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Robotics

Background:

• Piezoelectric actuators offer precise motion control but often face limitations with high payload capacities.
• Existing designs can suffer from reduced performance or instability under significant preload forces.
• There is a need for robust linear actuators capable of high-speed, high-payload operation in precision engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel low-profile piezoelectric inertial linear actuator.
• To evaluate the performance enhancement offered by trapezoidal teeth for high-payload applications.
• To present results from both numerical simulations and experimental validation.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were performed to analyze resonance frequency, displacement amplitude, and structural stability.
• Experimental investigations were conducted to measure linear motion speed and output force.
• The actuator design utilizes a piezoelectric bimorph plate excited in its second longitudinal vibration mode.

Main Results:

• The actuator demonstrated a resonance frequency of 68.49 kHz and a maximum displacement amplitude of 188.25 µm.
• Numerical analysis confirmed structural stability with minimal out-of-plane deflection (2.07 nm/N) under a 25 N axial load.
• Experimental results showed a maximum linear motion speed of 75.16 mm/s and an output force of 18.88 N at 200 Vp-p.
• High precision was achieved, with a linear motion accuracy of 11.5 µm per step under a 15 N load.

Conclusions:

• The novel piezoelectric inertial linear actuator with trapezoidal teeth effectively overcomes limitations associated with high preload forces.
• The design facilitates high-speed, high-payload linear motion with excellent precision and structural stability.
• This actuator is suitable for demanding applications requiring robust and accurate positioning.