(pressebox) (Karlsruhe, 14.08.2009) The new U-155 miniature motor from the micropositioning and nanopositioning specialist Physik Instrumente (PI) makes life easy for the user: The load coupling can be adapted to customer specifications, the drive fits into (almost) any installation space even though the driver electronics are already integrated.

The new microdrive takes on mechanical manipulations, the positioning of small objects, the operation of switches or valves, or dosing tasks, for example. Despite its compact dimensions, the U-155 has outstanding performance characteristics:

- 100 mm/s speed
- 4 mm travel range
- 0.7 N force
- Minimum power consumption

Moreover, the drive does not need to be supplied with electricity to hold its position, it therefore does not produce heat and has no positional jitter.

The integration is simplified because the drive is mechanically mounted on a circuit board. This circuit board already contains the driver electronics required for operation. It is controlled with 5 volt signals. Its low power consumption means that the power supply can also be decentralized by means of a battery.

PI has been one of the leading players in the market for precision positioning technology for 40 years. Piezoelectric ceramic drive elements which produce finely controllable motion play a significant role here. In conjunction with its subsidiary company PI Ceramic, PI manufactures piezo drives in-house to meet specific requirements. This expertise provides PI with unique flexibility and puts it way ahead technologically. In addition to its three German factories, PI has eight subsidiaries and a total of 500 employees worldwide.