Cedrat Technologies

Fine and Fast Steering Mirrors

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES (CTEC) offers a wide range of both Fast Steering platform and mirror solutions, available Commercially of the Shelves (COTS) from lab to filed and Space qualified products.
A Fast Steering Mirror (FSM) solution includes a Mirror integrated on a steering platform (Tilt or Tip/Tilt), positions sensors and a controller. CTEC COTS FSM and steering platforms are either piezo or magnetic actuator-based mechanisms. They are controlled with either piezo controllers or magnetic controllers. Their sensors are either Strain Gauges (SG) or Eddy Current Sensors (ECS).
As an option for COTS Tilt or Tip/Tilt platforms, CTEC can propose to outsource and to integrate a suitable mirror defined in collaboration with the customer. CTEC can even design customized mirrors (Silicon Carbide SiC, Fused Silica SiO2, …).
COTS FSM and COTS Tilt or Tip/Tilt Platforms are presented below. A dedicated brochure Fine and Fast Steering Mirrors as well several publications present the customized and OEM FSM solutions already delivered by CTEC to the Space, Optronics and industrial Electro Optic markets.

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Piezo Actuators

The Piezoelectric Actuators developed by CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES have the following outstanding characteristics: high force and large displacement in compact sizes, high resolution within the nanometre range, very short response time below 1 ms, life time greater than 10¹⁰ cycles, low voltage supply below 150V DC, no backlash and no play, low power consumption when static, severe environment compatibility (vacuum, cryogenic, high temperatures,…).

In order to meet varying customer actuation specifications, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has developped different families of standard piezoelectric actuators with their corresponding drivers and controllers:

Parallel Pre-stressed Actuators (PPA)
Amplified Piezoelectric Actuators (APA®)
Piezo Stages
Fast Steering Mirrors
Fast Piezo Shutters

APPLICATIONS FOR PIEZO ACTUATORS

Our piezo actuators find applications in all the fields of mechatronics. The major ones are space and newspace, optronics, scientific instrumentation, production and manufacturing and medical technology.
All these application fields gather round advanced functions requiring fast or precise actuation: precise positioning, fast displacement, vibration/force generator, vibration damping.

Optronics
Production
Medtec
Air & space
Instrumentation

Applications, customized actuators or new solutions are presented in the section Applications and Piezoelectric Actuators Technologies.

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Piezo Motors

Stepping Piezoelectric Actuators (SPA) are new long-stroke linear or rotating piezo motors for micro/nano positioning applications benefiting from the APA® heritage. They operate by accumulation of small steps. The motion can be either linear (LSPA motors) or rotary (RSPA motors). The motors can be supplied by CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES with the dedicated controller SPC45.

The Piezoelectric Motors SPA have the following outstanding characteristics and benefits:

• High speed up to 70mm/s. It helps  to reduce cycle times and gain into productivity
• Blocking at rest. The power can be removed when the motor is positioned.
• Resistance to external forces (shock, vibrations). It is ideal for embedded applications
• Strong miniaturisation possibilities.
• Non magnetic. The motor is MRI compatible and does not generate magnetic fields.
• High resolution within the nanometre range if required.
• Life time greater than 10⁶ cycles
• Severe environment compatibility (vacuum, cryogenic, clean environment…)
• Few parts: cost-effective solution for series

SPA piezo motors are targeting biotechnology, medical devices, aerospace, defence, microscopy, laboratory automation, materials characterization, digital imaging, recreational equipment, IC manufacturing and photonics. Piezo motors provide the smallest size, greatest efficiency, highest precision when applied in these areas.

The Stepping Piezo Actuator (SPA) technology received a Golden Micron award at MICRONORA 2008 micro technology fair thanks to its relevance for precision and miniaturization positioning functions.

LONG STROKE AND HIGH RESOLUTION TIP TILT MECHANISM

A way to combine both long stroke and resolution is to use piezo motors into multi dof mechanisms. The Tripod Actuator by CTEC (TraC) is a 3 dof mechanism offering +/-35° rotation around X and Y axis and a 10mm Z translation stroke into a low volume of Ø50x50mm.

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Magnetic Actuators

CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES (CTEC) has more than 15 years heritage in designing, optimising and manufacturing magnetic actuators for demanding applications. For instance, CTEC delivers space qualified Moving Coil Controllable Actuators (MCCA, also called Voice Coil Actuators).

Magnetic actuators complement piezo-based actuators well thanks to their combination of high force and large stroke, while retaining a high resolution displacement, compact design and dynamic capabilities.

From customers’ requirements and application description, the CTEC team can advise the best choice of magnetic actuator technology. Product lines for off-the-shelf solutions available from CTEC are the following:

Moving Iron Controllable Actuator (MICA™) proprietary and patented design from CTEC which allows:

• High force density
• Very long lifetime
• High controllability
• Low self-heating and cooling options for continuous full power operation

Customised magnetic actuators and other innovative actuation solutions based on magnetism are presented in the “Technologies” section Magnetic Actuators & Motors.

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Piezo Controllers

The drivers and controllers for CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES’s piezoelectric actuators & mechanisms are based either on standalone /OEM board or on 19′ board rack mounted (RK) / benchtop solutions.

OEM SERIES

The OEM series are cost-effective standalone amplifiers. They are well adapted to fit with small area or embedded applications providing with the best ratio power/price on the market. These standalone drivers series are closed loop (CCBu20 and CCBu40) and open loop solutions (CAu10) and are supplied with DC power supply.

• The CAu10 is an extra-miniature two-channel amplifier in open loop.
• The CCBu20 and CCBu40 are embedded all-in-one 2 push pull channels controllers able to control mechanism in closed loop with specific PID controller. Each one can deliver more or less power to be compatible with your response needs.

THE PLa SERIES

Inspired by more than 20 years of successful field experience with the benchtop series and the OEM series, CTEC designed the new PLa series with the following principles in mind: versatility, compactness, connectivity, performance and CE certification.

THE BENCHTOP SERIES

For laboratory applications, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES proposes rack-based electronics for driving & controlling piezo actuators, offering a highly modular approach for building a customized configuration.

This Rack-based solution may typically include:

A digital controller board (UC55) as option for controlling the displacement with a specific PID controller.
A powered Rack including an AC/DC converter LC75 or SC75 board providing the required stabilized DC voltages
(RK42F-3U, RK42F-4U & RK84F-4U with different slots).
A selection of voltage electronic amplifier boards (LA75, SA75, SP75) with required number of channels, specific power and
specific applications. A positioning conditioner board including 2 specific technologies (SG75; ECS75) as option for monitoring
the displacement as complement of the digital controller board.

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Magnetic controllers

To fulfill compactness requirements in terms of driving and control conditions for magnetic actuators and magnetic mechanisms (static, pulse, dynamic), CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has developed 3 standalone amplifiers: the CMAµ10, the MCLA18 and the MCSA480.

The MCSA480 is a compact switching amplifier designed for M-FSM mechanisms (magnetic fast steering mirror).

The CMAu10 is a compact switching amplifier designed for small linear magnetic actuators like the MICA20CS. It delivers high power with energy recovery for achieving high efficiency.

The MCLA18 is a compact switching amplifier designed for small M-FSM mechanisms (magnetic fast steering mirror) such as M-FSM45.

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Sensors

For fine motion control, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES offers several solutions in terms of sensors, generally used for closed loop control. They are compatible with piezo and magnetic actuators, as well as the drive electronics.

Two kinds of technology are available:

• Strain gauges (SG) are contact sensors measuring deformation. They  are  a standard option  in  piezo actuators  (APA®,  MLA,  PPA)  and  in some  piezo mechanisms  (TT, XY…).
• Eddy current sensors (ECS) are contactless sensors measuring distance. They are  a standard  option  in some  piezo  mechanisms  (TT,  DTT, XY) and can be used with some piezo and magnetic actuators. They are also available as standalone sensors.

Cedrat Technologies also developed innovative custom sensors such as force sensors, position sensors or magnetic field sensors. More details can be found on the dedicated page in theTechnologies section.