Design and experimental performances of a piezoelectric linear actuator by means of lateral motion

A piezoelectric-driven actuator based on the lateral motion principle is proposed in this paper, it can achieve large-stroke linear motion with high resolution. One parallelogram-type flexure hinge mechanism and one piezoelectric stack are used to generate the lateral motion. The mechanical structure and working principle are discussed. A prototype was fabricated and a series of experiments were carried out to investigate its working performance. The results indicate that the maximum moving speed is about 14.25 mm s−1, and the maximum output force is 3.43 N, the minimum stepping displacement is about 0.04 μm. The experiments confirm that the lateral motion can be used to design piezoelectric actuators with a large moving stroke and high accuracy with a compact size. This actuator can be used in fast tool servo systems for ultra-precision machining, precision motors for aerospace, focusing systems for optics, and so on.