Jun 10, 2025

More displacement from space-tested piezo actuator technology

Quick availability, excellent temperature stability, humidity resistance, new from PI.

(Nanowerk News) PI, a global leader in precision motion control and nanopositioning, is extending the capabilities of its renowned PICMA® piezo stack actuator series with the introduction of the new PICMA® Plus actuators.

While the standard PICMA® actuators are already celebrated for their long lifetime, high stiffness, microsecond response times, and sub-nanometer resolution, the PICMA® Plus line represents a significant advancement by offering substantially greater displacement.

PICMA® Plus Piezo Stack Actuators Provide More Displacement. (Image: PI)

Extended Displacement Without Sacrifice

Previously, PI's quickly available PICMA® piezo actuators provided displacement ranges from 6.5 microns to 36 microns per monolithic stack. The new PICMA® Plus actuators build upon this proven foundation by delivering even longer travel ranges up to 43 microns, allowing for applications requiring larger displacement in the same package size, without sacrificing the core benefits of the PICMA® technology.

Space-Proven Technology - Extreme Lifetime and Operating Temperature Range

Both the original and the new PICMA® Plus actuators share the same patented, ceramic-encapsulation process. This proprietary, polymer-free, all-ceramic insulation is what sets PI's actuators apart from conventional, polymer-insulated piezo actuators, which are susceptible to humidity and temperature fluctuations.

This robust ceramic encapsulation ensures superior durability and reliability, as demonstrated by NASA/JPL's 100 billion cycle test for the Mars rover Curiosity. The PICMA® technology, including the new Plus variants, continues to offer humidity resistance and a wide operating temperature range from -40°C to 150°C, and up to 200°C for modified versions, making them ideal for challenging environments.

Source: PI (Note: Content may be edited for style and length)