• 30 nm Positioning Resolution

• 22 N Axial Load Capacity

• Set and Forget Long-term Stability

• Plug and Play Controller/Driver Options

• Manual Adjustment Knob

• Patented Actuator Design 

Picomotor actuators are ideal for motorizing fine-positioning stages and mounts. They have better than 30 nm resolution with minimal backlash, and can exert 22 N force. Their exceptional longterm stability and the ability to hold their position with no power applied make Picomotor actuators unique and ideal for set-and-hold applications.

Features

Exceptional Positioning Precision

Our Picomotor actuators have a step size of less than 30 nm per step, allowing for very small, controlled movements.

Substantial Force Contained in a Small Package

With load capacity of 5 lbs (22 N), our Picomotor actuators have a substantial push force. All this while fitting in a compact package. Our Tiny Picomotor actuators offers up to 3 lbs (13 N) of push force in an even smaller package size.

Set-and-forget stability with virtually no backlash

Picomotor actuators only move when voltage is applied to the piezo causing its length to change and in turn moving the jaws which turn the screw. When no power is applied, the actuator does not move. You can feel confident that your set-up will stay put, even when you power down your system.

Easy-to-use Flexible Motion Controllers and Drivers

Our Picomotor controller and drivers are modular. You can daisy-chain up to 31 drivers together with four channels each, so you can have a network of up to 124 standard Picomotor actuators. You can interface our controllers through a handpad or computer. Alternatively, you can choose to use our TTL/Analog Picomotor Driver.

How the Picomotor Patented Design Works

Picomotor actuators rely on the basic difference between dynamic and static friction. An example of this is the magician\'s “tablecloth trick,” in which a quick pull (low dynamic friction) of the cloth leaves the dishes on the table, while a slow pull (high static friction) would pull the dishes off the table and cause a big mess! Our Picomotor actuator uses the same principle with a threaded jaw, similar to two halves of a split nut, clamped around a precision 80-pitch screw. One jaw is connected to one end of a piezoelectric transducer, and the other jaw is connected to the other end of the transducer. A slow electrical signal applied to the piezo slowly changes the length, causing the two jaws to slide in opposite directions. This slow sliding motion makes the screw turn (static friction). At the end of the transducer motion, a fast electrical signal quickly returns the jaws to their starting positions. Because of the screw’s inertia and low dynamic friction, it remains motionless, holding its position. Simply reversing the order of the fast and slow signals reverses the direction of rotation.

Upgrade Your Existing Manual Stages and Mounts

Here a motorized Pint-sized mount is being used to align the probe beam in a pump-probe demonstration.We also offer integrated motion-control solutions.

Tiny Picomotor Actuators

Our Tiny Picomotor actuator is a smaller-sized version of our standard Picomotor actuators. We have improved the design so that it will meet even more of your compact-area needs. It is ideal for moving small linear stages, like our Compact Gothic-Arch-Bearing stage. It is also integrated with some our our Pint-Sized mounts. The overall footprint is even smaller now; the cable exits from the side, similarly to our standard Picomotor actuators. For such a small device, it has an impressive pushing force. The maximum load for the Tiny Picomotor actuator is now 3 lbs (13 N). With two mounting options, a standard 0.25 shank and a 1/4-40 thread version, it is straight-forward to incorporate it into your design.

Accessories

The following controller/drivers are recommended for use with our picomotor actuators.

Dimensions

Model 8302

Model 8321

Model 8341