CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES provides mechatronic solutions from aerospace to medicine

Oct. 8, 2012 - PRLog -- One of the company’s innovations is the Linear Stepping Piezo Actuator (LSPA) motor, a linear piezoelectric micromotor with nanoscale positioning and a long stroke (of several millimetres).

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES of France develops high-performing, cutting-edge actuators and piezoelectric motors. With various industrial, medical and scientific applications, these products are used for a range of functions, including micro- and nano-positioning, vibration generation, micro-scanning, fast and precise actuation, active vibration control, and energy recovery.

The Linear Stepping Piezo Actuator (LSPA) motor bears witness to CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES’ remarkable capacity for innovation. The company’s LSPA motors have long strokes (of several millimetres) and nanoscale positioning. An example is the LSPA30uXS piezo micromotor, which weighs less than 1g, is smaller than a penny coin, and offers a linear stroke of 3mm with submicron resolution.

In addition, the LSPA30uXS’s micro-positioning is achieved with a power-off blocking force in the order of 0.5N, which enables the micromotor to support 50 times its own weight. This is a key advantage in embedded microsystems, not only in relation to the loads involved, but also in terms of resistance to shock and vibration.

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES originally developed its LSPA for the VALVELEC project, which is run by the microtechnology cluster of excellence based in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France. This project aims to develop a valve for implantation in the human body in order to treat hydrocephalus, an illness which leads to a build-up of fluid inside the skull that causes swelling of the brain.

The LSPA30uXS has made it possible to produce intelligent microsystems implanted in the human body, used for medication delivery or fluid control. This technology is also employed in the motorisation of medical implants and in endoscopic robots. The LSPA30uXS’s non-magnetic design enables it to work under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without image interference, unlike conventional electric motors, opening further the medical-application field.

Although these MRI-compatible LSPA motors are mainly designed for medical applications, thanks to its small size, robustness and precision, the LSPA30uXS is also ideal for use in embedded systems, such as the motorisation of camera optics. Moreover, used for fast, precise actuation, this product meets the demanding requirements of the aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has also made available a concept similar to the LSPA30uXS but available in rotative piezo micromotors (RSPA), offering the same advantages, such as position blocking and non-magnetic qualities.

Stepping piezo actuator (SPA) motors are linear (LSPA) or rotative (RSPA) stepping micromotors with a blocked position at rest. The core of the SPA motor is an APA® actuator (or amplified piezoelectric actuator), which operates by deformation. The APA®’s reliability and robustness have been demonstrated through their numerous embedded applications.

Additionally, the APA® is compact, dynamic and precise, with unique properties that demonstrate the actuator’s advanced performance. These properties include high force and displacement (up to 1 mm), high resolution within the nanometre range, extremely fast response times (under 1 ms), long lifetime (over 1010 cycles), low supply voltage (under 150V DC), no play or wear, low energy consumption in static use, non-magnetic qualities, and compatibility with demanding environments (such as in a vacuum or at extreme temperatures).

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES’ APA® has facilitated a range of innovative medical applications. For instance, the Cardiolock is an active heart-stabilisation system that is based on the APA® and is used during cardiac surgery. APA® technology has also been used in the development of an exoskeleton for muscular assistance, designed to restore mobility to the disabled.


About CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES is located in the French Innovation Valley near Grenoble, in south-eastern France. Employing 26 staff, the company specialises in mechatronic systems, smart actuators, smart sensors, and detection systems. CEDRAT also runs training courses focused on technology.

SPA motors and APA® actuators are protected by several broad patents filed by CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES.

The technological advances made by CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES and its capacity for innovation in mechatronics have earned it many awards for innovation, including prizes received from French government agency OSEO and from INPI (the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle, i.e. the French National Industrial Property Institute).

For further information, please go to: www.cedrat-technologies.com

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