Cedrat Technologies, innovation in mechatronics

The XY200M is an XY piezo stage coming from CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES lab and which was newly designed according to space needs defined with CNES (the French space agency). This XY stage benefi ts from the heritage of a former XY stage developed for ESA (European Space Agency) in the frame of Rosetta / Midas space mission which will launch in the beginning of 2003. It is based on two pairs of APA200M, Amplifi ed Piezo Actuators displaying 200 µm of stroke each, arranged in cross configuration around a central ring.

Piezo-electric motors have been successfully developed for various applications like autofocus drives in camera lenses and handling equipment for semiconductor production. Their high speed and accurate positioning capability, combined with a favourable holding torque in unpowered condition, make piezo motors also very attractive for actuation purposes in spacecraft mechanisms. However, so far only a few studies have been reported considering their suitability for actual use in space.

Piezoelectric actuators are generally deemed good candidates for driving compact and efficient mechanisms, offering advantages like fine precision, fast time response, low power consumption, cost annd easier implementation. But to meet space, devices have to comply to many other requirements besides functional ones.

Amplified Piezo Actuators have been developed at CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES for several years. Their well – known advantages (rapid response and precise positioning) have been used in valve designs to obtain both rapid or fine proportional valves.

During the past thirty years, noticeable consideration has been devoted to the improvement of rotary-wing vehicles, with respect to noise, vibrations and performance. The main rotor of helicopters, and more precisely the blades themselves have been the subject of numerous optimization studies.

The XY25XS stage is an original micro positioning mechanism developed, built and marketed by CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES. This mechanism relieds on the Amplified Piezo Actuators (APA) technology patented by CTEC

The MIDAS (Micro Imaging Dust Analysis System) instrument jointly developed by IWF Graz (AT) and the Solar Space Division of ESA/ESTEC (NL) will flow on ROSETTA and will analyse the dust of the 46P/Wirtanen cometa using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).