A low frequency operation high speed stick-slip piezoelectric actuator achieved by using a L-shape flexure hinge

Motion speed is an important parameter of stick-slip piezoelectric actuators. However, most of the existing stick-slip piezoelectric actuators achieve a high motion speed by operating under a quite high driving frequency. Operation under high frequency will affect the motion stability and as well accelerate the wear of the contact surfaces. To realize relatively high speed under a relatively low operation frequency, here a specific L-shape flexure hinge was employed to design the stick-slip piezoelectric actuator. Its structure design, working principle and processes, structure parameter selection, and output performances were studied in detail. The experimental results indicated that the designed actuator could achieve a maximum motion speed of 16.67 mm s(-1) under the driving frequency of 800 Hz. This operation frequency was much lower than those employed in previous actuators for achieving a similar motion speed. By comparative analysis, it was shown that the designed actuator also maintained good minimum stepping displacement and loading capacity. These features would be useful for the practical applications of stick-slip piezoelectric actuators.