Piezoelectric actuators use the piezoelectric effect to create mechanical stress in crystals, resulting in precise motion at the micro- or nano-scale. They have various designs and are used in industries such as aerospace, medical, and nanotechnology due to their low power consumption, lack of magnetic fields, and durability.
The piezoelectric actuator is a form of microcontroller electromechanical system. It is based on the piezoelectric effect with some crystals such that when an electric field is applied to the crystal, it creates mechanical stress in its structural lattice which can be translated into motion at the micro- or nano-scale. The types of actuators can range from heavy industrial systems powered by pneumatic or hydraulic force down to small piezoelectric actuators, which have a very limited but precisely controlled range of motion. A typical piezoelectric actuator will generate longitudinal motion when an electrical force is applied to the drive of a shaft or other mechanical linkage with a range of displacement from 4 to 17 microns (0.0002 to 0.0007 inches). This type of actuator system is often incorporated into a strain gauge also known as a strain gauge, used to measure very fine levels of contraction and expansion in materials and surfaces.
There are three general types of piezoelectric actuator designs or motion patterns that determine the unique array of piezoelectric actuator parts that make up the mechanical motion of the device. These are cylindrical, bimorph and unimorph or multilayer actuators and each also has a mode designation that depends on the type of piezoelectric coefficient for the induced mechanical stress. A 33-mode multilayer actuator is designed to generate motion along the path of the applied electric field, while a 31-mode cylindrical actuator exhibits motion perpendicular to the electric force. A 15-mode actuator uses the shear strain in the crystal for the bias force, but they are not as common as other types of piezoelectric actuators, as shear strain is a more complex crystalline reaction that is difficult to control and produce systems for. .
The purpose for which a piezoelectric actuator is used is usually based on the fact that it can have a mechanical response to electrical force in a fraction of a second time interval, as well as not generating significant electromagnetic interference in its operation. This includes common use for components in tunable lasers and various adaptive optical sensors, as well as micro-level control of valves where fuel flow rate is critical to the amount of boost generated, such as in fuel injection systems and avionics controls. The piezoelectric actuator also has many uses in the medical field where it is integrated into micropumps for procedures such as dialysis and automatic drug dispensers or drip dispensers. Research arenas also depend on the piezoelectric actuator, for example where it is an essential component of the atomic force microscope (AFM) in the field of nanotechnology.
Other advanced research fields using the piezoelectric actuator include precision machining, astronomical controls for telescopes, biotechnology research, as well as semiconductor engineering and integrated circuit manufacturing. Some of these fields require a piezoelectric actuator capable of controlling ranges of motion down to the 2 micron (0.0001 inch) level in less than 0.001 seconds. The piezoelectric actuator is an optimal device for such applications as well because it has several unique characteristics including very low power consumption, does not generate magnetic fields, and can operate at cryogenic temperatures. Probably the most useful feature of the device, however, is that it is a solid-state device that requires no gears or bearings, so it can be used repeatedly up to billions of times without showing any signs of performance degradation.
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