Cedrat Technologies, innovation in mechatronics

We are delighted in announcing the successful test of our LPM20 linear piezoelectric motor, carried out in June this year at the CNES (French Agency Space), Toulouse in vacuum conditions.Developed for positioning applications, the piezoelectric motor has proved to be a very interesting solution thanks to its high massive force, its zero consumption at rest and its high precision. For space applications, it is a question of obtaining an identical behaviour in ambient and in vacuum conditions. However, the friction drive that is the key to the functioning of the piezoelectric motor, limits the lifespan and poses tribology problems.

This article deals with the use of Magnetic Resonant Sensors (M.R.S) for the realisation of an identification system. Nowadays, the market of I.D. systems evolves versus magnetic tags as they bring some advantages like remote identification and removal of the need of handling.

In previous editions of Flux Magazine, we have presented some of the range of piezo actuators developed by CEDRAT RECHERCHE. These actuators cover a whole range of displacements from a few centimetres to sub-micrometric distances and from low to ultrasonic frequencies.The fields of application are expanding rapidly and use the latest developments in electronics for their power supply and control.

Rare earth-iron magnetostrictive alloys, especially Terfenol-D, feature "giant" magnetostrains: static strains of 1000-2000 ppm and dynamic strains of 3500 ppm are reported.

The ROSETTA/MIDAS space mission intends to analyze the dust resulting from the Wirtanen comet using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). To scan the dust, an extremely fine mechanism able to produce displacement’s accuracy in the sub-micrometer range with a limited mass, is required. The only technology which can meet this specification is the piezoelectric actuator associated to capacitive displacement sensors, which displays several advantages : solid state design, which means no friction, noise limited by the driving electronic, ...

The ROSETTA/MIDAS mission of the Europeans Space Agency (ESA) intends to study the dust collected from the Wirtanen comet using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). This instrument utilzes an XY piezoelectric stage to achieve precise positioning in two in-plane orthogonal directions, and a Z actuator to support the needles for the analyses of dust particles in the out-of-plane direction.

This article deals with a stress sensor for cables which has been designed, built and test. it is based on a special magnetostrictive effect of ferromagnetic materials as high elastic limit steels used for bridge cables or prestressed concrete.