Cedrat Technologies offers a wide range of standard off-the-shelf mechatronic products including piezoelectric actuators and motors. Our motion products are used for various scientific and industrial applications requiring features such as micro and nano positioning, the generation of vibrations, micro-scanning, fast and precise motion control, active control of vibrations, and energy harvesting.
Most of these products are available in OEM versions for low-cost and high-volume industrial applications.
Amplified piezoelectric actuators
Stroke is sometimes the limiting factor for using direct piezo actuators. With an ingenious mechanical flexure, our APA amplified piezoelectric actuators combine:
- 40 times more stroke than direct piezo actuators
- Sub-micrometer accuracy
- Low consumption and low voltage
- MRI compatibility
Our amplified piezoelectric actuators are highly dynamic and are available in extremely small sizes.
Stepping piezo motors
The SPA stepping piezo actuator is a motor derived from amplified piezoelectric actuator technology. This tiny piezo motor can provide longer travels than amplified piezoelectric actuators and benefit from the same features:
- Long travels
- High speed
- Extremely small size
- Sub-micrometer accuracy
- Low consumption and low voltage
- MRI compatibility
Our stepping piezo actuator is available in a developer kit including a SPA30µXS, a 70nm resolution sensor, and the associated driver and controller.
Applications of amplified piezoelectric actuators and stepping piezo actuators
The fields of use for amplified piezoelectric actuators and stepping piezo actuators include:
- Micro pumps and micro valves
- Drug delivery
- Implantable devices
- Stabilisation devices
- MRI-compatible devices
- Minimally invasive surgical systems / endoscopes
- Medical robotics
Examples of amplified piezoelectric actuators
Cardiolock: stabilisation during heart surgery (courtesy of EAVR) is a concept of active heart stabilisation for totally endoscopic beating heart surgery. Thanks to high-speed visual feedback and piezo actuation, the cardiolock compensates actively for motions due to the heart beating.
Exoskeleton: cellular artificial muscles based on exponential PZT strain amplification (courtesy of Georgia Tech University) use MRI-compatible APA50XS actuators, identified as the best technology force / stroke / bandwidth for this application.
Example of a stepping piezo actuator
MRI compatibility tests: SPA30µXS moves a ‘fantom’ for MRI evaluation in the frame of a project to make an internal body valve for blood regulation.
To find out more about our piezoelectric actuators and other mechatronic products please contact us.