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Victor, NY - Dec. 15, 2008 - New Scale
Technologies, Inc., creator of ingeniously small motion systems,
today announced a technology partnership with
EPCOS AG, a EUR
1.48 billion global manufacturer of electronic products including
piezoelectric ceramics. The cooperation agreement will further the
development of innovative ultrasonic motors, leveraging EPCOS’
expertise in manufacturing of multilayer piezoelectric ceramic
elements and New Scale’s excellence in creating miniature
piezoelectric micro motors, micro actuator modules and motion
systems.
Reduced-voltage breakthrough for the SQUIGGLE motor
The partnership has resulted in a reduced-voltage version of New
Scale’s smallest linear
SQUIGGLE® motor, incorporating four multilayer piezo plates from
EPCOS in New Scale’s patented direct-drive motor design. This
next-generation motor is powered directly by a battery voltage of
less than 3 V, about one tenth of the voltage requirement of the
current motor.
At 1.82 x 1.82 x 6 mm with 0.5 µm resolution, the reduced-voltage
motor has the same size, resolution and power draw of New Scale’s
current-generation SQL-1.8 SQUIGGLE
motor. However, the lower voltage operation of the EPCOS
material eliminates the need for a voltage boost and therefore
enables New Scale to shrink the size of the motor drive circuit by
75%.
“Achieving the absolute smallest complete motion system is huge for
makers of ultra-miniature products such as mobile phone cameras,”
said David Henderson, CEO and CTO of New Scale Technologies. “The
reduced voltage requirement made possible by EPCOS’ multilayer piezo
technology is a major breakthrough in overall system
miniaturization.”
New Scale’s current SQL-1.8 SQUIGGLE micro motor is driven by the
NSD-1102 motor driver ASIC and an external boost circuit, for a
total drive circuit area of approximately 6 x 9 mm. New Scale is
developing a drive ASIC for the reduced-voltage motor that is
expected to measure less than 3 x 3 mm.
The new reduced-voltage SQUIGGLE motor and ASIC driver will be
available in Q3 2009 to selected system development partners. The
company is initially targeting the phone camera market. New Scale
works with its partners to incorporate its SQUIGGLE motors, drive
ASICs and position sensors into complete motion systems for
customer-specific applications such as
autofocus and optical zoom.
Further miniaturization with the Ultra-Thin AutoFocus piezo
actuator
Additional cooperative development projects for New Scale and
EPCOS include a new family of ultra-thin motors even smaller than
the SQUIGGLE motor. The first prototypes in New Scales’ new
Ultra-Thin AutoFocus (UTAF) actuator family measure
less than 1 mm thick. “We achieve this dramatic size reduction by
integrating multiple actuator functions and independent electrical
connections into a single co-fired ceramic component,” explains Dr. Justinus Slakhorst, CTO of the Ceramic Components Division at EPCOS.
EPCOS is the global market leader in piezo actuators for automotive
fuel injection systems, and expects the cooperation with New Scale
to extend their presence into other growing markets. For New Scale,
EPCOS’ global significance in products for mobile communications and
expertise in piezo technology make them a natural partner in the
development of next-generation piezo motors, modules and systems.
Creating motion without gears
Ultrasonic piezo motors use vibrations and friction to generate
continuous movement without gears. Piezo actuators are used to
generate these ultrasonic vibrations with amplitudes of a few
micrometers. New Scale Technologies’ SQUIGGLE motor is a patented
ultrasonic motor design that uses a vibrating nut to rotate and
drive a threaded pin forward and back. Precision-matched multilayer
piezo plates, which are bonded to the sides of the nut and
electrically driven at the mechanical resonant frequency, produce
hula-hoop-like vibrations. The SQUIGGLE motor is 50 percent smaller
than other piezo motors, while producing ten times the force and
achieving ten times better position resolution. SQUIGGLE motors also
feature a very high shock resistance. Because of their miniaturized
dimensions, the SQUIGGLE motors enable camera modules to be built
that are as thin as 6.5 mm.
Wide range of applications
Autofocus and optical zoom cameras are just two examples of the
many possible applications for SQUIGGLE and UTAF motors. They can be
used wherever miniature size, low voltage and high precision are the
defining parameters, such as drug pumps and micro fuel cells, toys,
precision alignment systems, and many more.
About EPCOS
EPCOS AG is a leading manufacturer of electronic components,
modules and systems headquartered in Munich. With its broad
portfolio, EPCOS offers a comprehensive range of products from a
single source and focuses on fast-growing and technologically
demanding markets, particularly in the areas of information and
communication technology, automotive electronics, industrial
electronics and consumer electronics. The EPCOS Group has design and
manufacturing locations and sales offices in Europe, Asia, and in
North and South America.
Electronic components are found in every electrical and
electronic product and are indispensable for their flawless
operation. Products from EPCOS store electrical energy, filter
frequencies, and protect against overvoltage and overcurrent.
In fiscal 2008 (October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2008), EPCOS
posted sales of EUR 1.48 billion. At the end of the fiscal year, the
company employed about 21,200 people worldwide.
About New Scale Technologies
New Scale Technologies (www.newscaletech.com) is an innovation and
micro-manufacturing company delivering ingeniously small motion systems. We
serve worldwide markets for mobile products, medical devices, defense and
security systems and industrial instruments. Every day our creative engineers
and scientists use their deep understanding of micro-mechatronic technologies to
solve the most demanding customer problems. Since 2002, the company has been
awarded six patents with more pending. We combine our talents with the
capabilities of our global strategic partners, who provide “best in class”
integrated circuits, ceramic components and high-volume manufacturing. Through
direct customer engagements, continuous innovation and strategic partnerships,
we deliver disruptively small, precise and low-power motion systems that enable
our customers to create smaller feature-rich products.
New Scale’s SQUIGGLE® micro motors, TRACKER™ position sensors and M3 micro-mechatronic
modules enable design engineers to create smaller products including cameras for
mobile phone, medical, military and industrial applications; portable drug
delivery and implantable medical devices; endoscopes; precision tuning devices;
electronic locks; UAV controls; precision optics and photonic control systems;
and cryogenic and MRI-compatible instrumentation.
SQUIGGLE is a registered trademark and TRACKER and New Scale Pathway are trademarks of New Scale Technologies, Inc.
Please note: Press releases are current as published, but are not updated
after posting. Refer to our product pages for current product information including
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