A new stick-slip type piezoelectric actuator based on asymmetric diamond-shaped flexure hinge structure

A new stick-slip type piezoelectric actuator based on asymmetric structure is proposed. The actuator uses a stator with the asymmetric diamond-shaped structure, and the structure size is determined by finite element simulation. First, the structure and working principle of the proposed actuator are introduced. The elongation deformation of the piezo stack is transferred to the driving tip by the used asymmetric diamond-shaped hinge. This produces a diagonal movement on the driving tip, with the lateral motion used for driving and the longitudinal motion used for pressing the slider, respectively. Then, the statics analysis of the proposed piezoelectric actuator is performed by finite element simulation. The simulated displacements of the driving tip under different structures are obtained, and then the structure size is determined. Finally, an experimental system is established to study the performance of the proposed piezoelectric actuator. The experimental results show that the maximum output velocity of the proposed actuator is 5.26 mm/s. The maximum output force is 1.9N when the locking force is 2N and the drive frequency is 660 Hz.