A flexure-based Electromagnetic Linear Actuator for nano-positioning

In this paper, a novel nano-positioning actuator with large travelling range and large thrust force has been proposed, designed and developed. Known as a Flexure-Based Electromagnetic Linear Actuator (FELA), it consists of two main elements, i.e., an Electromagnetic Driving Mechanism (EDM) and a Flexure-Based Mechanism (FBM). In this FELA, its EDM is developed through a new dual magnet configuration that delivers large force sensitivity and good-to-size ratio. Its actuating body is supported through flexure-based bearings and form a FBM, which ensure its positioning repeatability. A bistable mechanism design has been adopted by this FBM to deliver low stiffness in the actuating direction and high stiffness in rest of the non-actuating directions. Lastly, a prototype of the FELA has been developed and preliminary experiments have been conducted to evaluate its performances.