SHREWSBURY, Mass., Aug. 18, 2026 — PI (Physik Instrumente), a global leader in precision motion control and nanopositioning, offers ring-type PZT actuators for applications requiring fast, nanometer-scale motion while maintaining an unobstructed central opening.
Higher force and longer travel than conventional Piezo tubes
PICA-Through PZT actuators combine the advantages of conventional linear piezo stack actuators and tube actuators. However, they provide much higher force capacity and travel ranges than traditional piezo tubes. And, unlike conventional solid piezo stacks, these special PZT actuators incorporate a through-hole that allows optical beams, fibers, probes, capillaries, wiring, vacuum lines or fluidic channels to pass directly through the actuator. This configuration supports compact, coaxial system designs in which motion is generated around the optical or mechanical axis rather than beside it.
Applications for PICA-through actuators
The open-center design is useful in photonics, microscopy, semiconductor manufacturing, medical technology, metrology and scientific instrumentation. Applications include fiber alignment, optical cavity tuning, objective and lens positioning, laser beam delivery, adaptive optics, microfluidic control, precision dispensing and valve actuation. The aperture can also provide direct access for cameras, sensors or measurement probes while the surrounding assembly is precisely positioned.
The PICA family includes twelve standard variants built around three outer diameters (10, 16, 25 mm) with inner diameters of 5, 8, and 16 mm scaled to match. Across the lineup, key specifications include:
- Travel range: up to 80 µm
- Blocking force: up to 9,600 N
- Stiffness: up to 580 N/µm
- Vacuum compatible variants
How Piezo actuators work
Piezoelectric mechanisms convert electrical energy directly into mechanical energy through the piezoelectric effect. When voltage is applied, the ceramic material expands by a very small amount. This movement is very smooth and directly follows the driving voltage of an amplifier — from static to extremely fast response in the sub-millisecond range, while providing sub-nanometer resolution.
Designed for high Reliability
PI's PICA ceramic technology is designed for high reliability and dynamic performance under demanding operating conditions. Because they work without gears, bearings or other mechanical transmission components, PICA piezoelectric actuators offer high stiffness, rapid response, no backlash, no particle generation and long operating life.
The ring-type actuators generate high forces in a compact package and can be integrated into flexure-guided mechanisms, OEM instruments and automated production systems. By routing optical, electrical or fluidic components through the actuator itself, engineers can reduce system size, improve mechanical stiffness, simplify cable and beam paths and create more efficient precision-motion assemblies.
