TDK Corporation presents two new piezo actuators made of RoHS-compatible lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with an internal copper electrode. COM30S5 (B58004M4030A020) and COM45S5 (B58004M4040A020) are available as unhoused, passivated components.

Specifically, they feature an extraordinary dynamic range, a high force-to-volume ratio, and precision in the nanometer range. TDK achieves this through its patented copper-based High Active Stack (HAS) technology. Compared to other technologies, HAS piezo actuators from TDK offer superior performance, robustness to moisture, and longer lifetime.

The voltage range goes from -10 to +180V while their nominal stroke reached +160V. Moreover, their allowed surface temperature ranges from -40 to +160°C. They feature 30mm and 45mm heights and a cross-section of 5.2×5.2mm. Correspondingly, these actuators reach strokes of 55 and 83µm, at 160V and 730N of preload.

In addition, TDK plans to release three more actuators in 2023 to cover a wider application range. Today, these are available only as prototypes in limited quantities, and are not intended for series production: COM10S5 (Z63000Z2910Z001Z78) with 10mm height and 16µm of stroke; COM27S3 (Z63000Z2910Z001Z77, leaded) with 27mm height and 47µm of stroke; and the COM30S7 (Z63000Z2910Z001Z70) with 30mm of height and 7×7mm of cross-section delivering 55µm of stroke and 2600N of blocking force.

Numerous high-end solutions in the field of nano-positioning technology, valve control for liquids and gasses in process engineering, and semiconductor manufacturing are already relying on piezo actuators from TDK.