Patented piezoelectric micro motor has smallest size, high force and
speed
The SQUIGGLE motor is a revolutionary linear micro motor that
sets new benchmarks for 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 consumer products such
as micro cameras and
wearable medical devices.
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
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 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 micro motors
We have also developed a
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.
Non-magnetic motors, vacuum and cryogenic motors
The SQUIGGLE motor generates no magnetic fields. It can be made from non-ferrous metals
for use in MRI, scanning electron microscopy and focused ion
microscopy applications. We can also
make custom SQUIGGLE motors for use in vacuum, UHV and cryogenic
environments.
Closed Loop Systems
SQUIGGLE motors have excellent position resolution: you can
signal the motor to move very small distances, measured in microns
or nanometers. However, the motor speed will vary with applied
load and device friction. Therefore closed-loop control is
recommended for applications requiring exact position, repeatable
position, or precise speed.
Our miniature TRACKER position
sensors pair with SQUIGGLE motors to create "ingeniously small"
closed-loop motion systems. We create
M3 micro-mechatronic modules
customized for your
application: complete closed-loop actuators with high precision and
a footprint of 12 x 30 mm or less. Simple serial commands drive an
on-board PID controller using a standard I2C or SPI interface.
Learn More about Piezoelectric Micro Motors and other Miniature
Motion Systems
Call us at (585) 924-4450 x 112 or
email us today.
Tiny SQUIGGLE motor for OEM
products
This animation shows
how the SQUIGGLE motor vibrates in a "hula hoop" mode and causes
the shaft to rotate and translate
The SQUIGGLE motor can be integrated
into custom M3 micro-mechatronic modules: complete
closed-loop actuators with high precision and a footprint of 12
x 30 mm or less. Simple serial commands drive an on-board PID
controller using a standard I2C or SPI interface. Learn more.
Developer’s Kits
include a SQUIGGLE micro motor, optional TRACKER position
sensor, controller board and development software. Kit provides
a mechanical and electrical reference design; components are easily removed for integration into your
system prototype.
Browse the store
SQL series
SQUIGGLE motor pushing a load up an incline.
