SQUIGGLE micro motor technology
Patented piezoelectric motor with smallest size, high force and
speed
The heart of New Scale's M3
micro mechatronics module platform is the SQUIGGLE motor, a revolutionary linear micro motor
with incredibly small size and big performance.
This
patented ultrasonic motor creates high force and speed with only a
few parts - compare to complex electromagnetic gearhead motors with
hundreds of parts. SQUIGGLE micro motors allow product designers to
add motion features into products where they could not have been
imagined before.
This simple, robust piezo motor is scalable to much smaller sizes
than electromagnetic motors, without significant loss of power
efficiency. This makes it ideal for portable products such
as micro cameras,
medical devices and
biometric detection systems.
SQUIGGLE micro motor features
- Precise: nanometer resolution
- Fast: variable speed from 1 µm/second to 10 mm/second
- Strong: models with up to 5 Newton force
- Tiny: as small as 1.8 x 1.8 x 6 mm
- Quiet and smooth
- Non-magnetic, vacuum and cryogenic options
available
The SQUIGGLE motor operating principle
Piezoelectric actuators change shape when electrically excited. A
SQUIGGLE motor consists of several piezoelectric ceramic actuators
attached to a threaded nut, with a mating threaded screw inside.
Applying power to the actuators creates ultrasonic vibrations,
causing the nut to vibrate in an orbit - similar to a person's hips
in a "Hula Hoop." Linear SQUIGGLE micro motors The rotating nut turns the threaded
screw, creating a smooth in-and-out linear motion.
Thread friction drives the shaft, directly converting rotary motion to linear motion. This means:
- No parasitic drag - less wasted power
- Zero backlash (with a light pre-load)
- Very high stiffness
- Nanometer resolution and high force
- Smooth velocity at microscopic speeds
- Off-power hold
- Very small diameter
- Manual screw rotation for off-power positioning
- Standard linear motors feature direct linear drive - no
gearbox
The speed and position of the threaded screw can be
precisely controlled. Most importantly, the screw holds its position
when the power is turned off.
Rotary SQUIGGLE micro motors
We have also developed a high-torque
rotary piezoelectric motor using the SQUIGGLE motor operating
principle. This rotary motor has twice the torque of similar-sized
DC micro motors. It needs no gear reduction mechanism, delivering
high peak torque at sustained speeds as well as high holding torque.
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