Imagine an actuator that operates off only a couple of volts, draws just a few milliamps, yet offers a holding force of a couple of tons. Piezo-based actuation is one of those areas of technology that have drifted in and out of vogue over the years. It's a familiar story. First there is the excitement of a breakthrough, then there is a realisation of severe drawbacks; next there is the promise of a solution and a new flurry of activities, and then there is the discovery of some new limitation. Certainly if you experimented with piezo actuators in the 1980s, you'll have found that the barriers to practical application were simply too high to scale. Recent years, though, have seen a resurgence of activity around piezo technology, and successful uses in the likes of miniature linear drives and low power valve actuators. And now, Harlow-based Servocell says it has made a real breakthrough which should see the technology finally achieve its potential.
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