The research on a novel linear stepping piezoelectric stacks actuator

A novel linear stepping piezoelectric stacks actuator is proposed, which contains three drive units and can achieve bidirectional movements with high resolution and large-stroke by applying with signals to each unit with a defined sequence signal. The structure and operating principle of the piezoelectric stacks actuator are presented in detail. A prototype was fabricated, and a series of experiments were conducted to reveal its working performances. The experimental results indicated that the actuator can change the distance of the stepping motion by adjusting the value of the driving signals, and the speed of the actuator is proportional to the operating frequency within a certain range of frequency. The actuator achieves two-way movements with a position precision of 400nm. The maximum load of the actuator is 20 N, and the moving speed can reach 0.83 mm/s. The actuator has a broad application potential on the micro operation, optical engineering, precision positioning and other cutting-edge fields.