Design of a Linear Walking Stage based on Two Types of Piezoelectric Actuators

Abstract Piezoelectric actuators can generate mechanical deformation under the electric field. Although the deformation is extremely small, piezoelectric actuators have high resolution and large output force, and they can also work at high frequency. In this paper, a compact double-foot linear walking stage based on shear and stack piezoelectric actuators is proposed, which features a large motion range and self-locking ability. The proposed stage achieves a stable movement with high speed, high load capacity and high resolution. The stage consists of a clamping mechanism, a driving mechanism, a linear guide, a preload mechanism, and a fixed base. As the core units, the clamping mechanism and the driving mechanism are actuated by stack and shear piezoelectric actuators, respectively. The statics and dynamical models of the proposed stage are analyzed and verified by finite element analysis and MATLAB/Simulink. A prototype is fabricated, and its performance is also tested through a series of experiments. Experimental results show that the prototype can provide a maximum speed of 28.1 μm/s, a driving force up to 4.9 N, and a fine resolution of 30 nm.