Compact size ultrasonic linear motor using a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator

This paper presents original results obtained in the development of dome-shaped actuator for a linear motor application. The main structure of compact ultrasonic linear motor presented in this paper consists of three parts, which were an actuating part, a shaft and mobile element. The actuating part was fabricated by powder injection molding (PIM) process. The linear motion of new-type linear motor was operated by the principle of inertia displacement. The actuating part combined with clamping ceramic element can be realized by the central movement of dome-shaped piezoelectric actuator (DSPA), which has the maximum displacement of the up-and-down movement. The linear motor, where DSPA was 9.86 mm in diameter, 4.6 mm in curvature of radius and 0.4 mm in thickness, operated at 1st resonance frequency. The dynamic characteristics of the motor was investigated by finite element method (FEM) and compared with experimental results. These results were in good agreement with that predicted by simulations.