The Design and Development of Inch Worm Type Micro Positioning Stage with X-Z Moving Mechanism including Piezo Actuators

Abstract

  Inch worm mechanism using piezoelectric actuators is one of the driving mechanisms for precision positioning devices or stages, because high precision and long stroke motion can be achieved simultaneously, and the motion is smooth without backlash. However, one of the problems of conventional inch worm mechanisms is that it cannot hold large load on the guide rail. A new inch worm mechanism proposed in this study utilized linear ball guide and four micro X-Z positioning units with eight piezoelectric elements to solve this problem. Motion characteristics of the proposed mechanism were evaluated by various driving voltage wave patterns.