An actuator is a device that converts electrical energy into kinetic energy (mechanical energy). A piezo actuator is an actuator that uses the inverse piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric element, and has the following excellent properties:

①　High resolution

Because piezoelectric elements expand and contract smoothly in response to the applied voltage, piezo actuators incorporating piezoelectric elements have extremely high resolution in the nanometer range. In theory, infinite resolution can be achieved by increasing the precision of the applied voltage.

The high resolution of piezoelectric actuators is used for fine positioning and semiconductor manufacturing. Ours Piezoelectric actuator, called「Piezo Assist Motor*」、 has a resolution of less than 25 nm (nanometer: one billionth of a meter).

②　High speed operation

Piezo actuators are capable of extremely fast operation, with response times of less than 1 millisecond (1/1000th of a second).

The high-speed operation of piezo actuators is used for removing foreign objects from food, inspecting for defects, etc. It not only reduces entrapment but also improves processing speed.

There are various piezo actuators, but our piezo actuator (Mechatrans: MTKK10S300F120PS) has overcome the drawback of small displacement and has expanded the displacement by several tens of times using our unique technology, achieving a response speed of less than 1 millisecond (1/1000 seconds) both from 0 to the maximum displacement of 300 μm, and from the maximum displacement back to 0. In addition, our piezo actuator, the "piezo assist motor*," can ensure a displacement of 13 mm or more and can be driven up to 2,000 times per second.

③　Small size with large generating force

Piezo actuators are actuators that utilize the phenomenon in which a piezoelectric element itself expands in response to an applied voltage, and are characterized by the fact that they do not basically require any moving parts and are therefore easy to miniaturize.　It also generates a large amount of force; our Piezoelectric actuator, called「Piezo Assist Motor *」 is 61mm x 31mm x 15.1mm in size and weighs approximately 50g, but has a load capacity of over 29.4N and can drive a load of 3kg.

④　They consume less energy than other types of actuators (e.g. solenoid type actuators) to accomplish the same amount of work.

Piezo actuators have the advantage of being highly energy efficient because they directly convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Furthermore, if the applied voltage is kept constant and the actuator is in a stationary state, it can hold a load with almost no power consumption.

⑤　High durability

Piezo actuators are actuators that utilize the phenomenon in which a piezoelectric element itself expands in response to an applied voltage. Since they basically have no moving parts, they are less susceptible to wear, tear, or other damage, and are therefore highly durable.

Ours Piezoelectric actuator, called「Piezo Assist Motor *」、It has withstood over 1 billion drive tests.

⑥　No need for cam mechanisms or reduction gears

Piezo actuators, such as the piezoelectric elements incorporated into the displacement magnification mechanism, are different from electric motors in that they can achieve linear motion with simple components without using cam mechanisms or reduction gears, which makes them smaller and more reliable.

*「Piezo Assist」and「PiezoAssist」is a registered trademark of Mechano Transformer Corporation.