Design of a bidirectional actuator for a nanopositioning system with a permanent magnet and an electromagnet

Abstract

A precision bidirectional linear actuator for ultraprecision systems is proposed and designed in this article. The actuator is composed of a symmetric structure with a force generation unit and a guide mechanism. The force generation part consists of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, which generate a permanent and a reversible flux, respectively. The combination of permanent and reversible fluxes makes various flux densities in its air gaps between the moving part and the fixed yokes. The difference between flux densities in the lower and upper gaps creates forces for bidirectional linear motions of hundreds of micrometers. As a guide mechanism, two circular plates and one shaft are used. Reducing other forces generated by motions, except the z-directional motion, these circular plates in the form of a flexure endow the actuator with smooth motion, freedom from wear, and a high stiffness for a rapid settling time. The function of the shaft is to transfer motion to an object. Finally, the total body has a symmetric structure enabling it to be stable in terms of thermal error. The actuator is designed with the software tools MAXWELL((TM))2D and PRO-MECHANICA((TM)). The designed actuator is evaluated with a linear current amplifier, a laser Doppler vibrometer for nanometer resolution, a dynamic signal analyzer for frequency responses of the proposed actuator, and a simple proportional-integral-derivative controller for its tracking performance. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.