Low Temperature Positioning Stages and Actuators

Many aerospace and astronomy-related applications require motion components that work reliably in low temperature and/or high vacuum conditions. PI can offer a variety of positioning stages, actuators and piezo components that can work under these conditions.  PI has provided precision motion components for space based applications and for the Mars Mission.

The following standard products can be operated down to temperatures of -20C:

Miniature Linear Stages up to 25mm Travel

M-110/1/2 Miniature Stages
Show more
M-110/1/2 Miniature Stages
Lead/Ballscrew, Servo & Stepper
  • 5/15/25mm travel
  • 0.05µm min. incremental motion
  • 7nm sensor resolution
  • 1-2mm/sec max. velocity
  • 10N push/pull force
  • DC & stepper gearbox motors

Linear Stages up to 300mm Travel

M-414 Linear Stages
Show more
M-414 Linear Stages
Ballscrew, Servo Motors, High Load
  • 100/200/300mm travel
  • 0.1-0.5µm min. incremental motion
  • 100-500nm sensor resolution
  • 3-100mm/sec max. velocity
  • 100N push/pull force
  • Direct-drive & gearbox motors

Linear Actuators up to 50mm Travel

M-230 High Precision Actuator
Show more
M-230 High Precision Actuator
Servo & Stepper Motors
  • 10 and 25mm travel
  • 0.05µm min. incremental motion
  • 4nm sensor resolution
  • 1.2 mm/sec max. velocity
  • 70N push/pull force
  • Nonrotating tip
M-235 High Precision Actuators
Show more
M-235 High Precision Actuators
Servo & Stepper Motors
  • 20/50mm travel
  • 0.1 & 0.5µm min. inc. motion
  • 16 & 500nm sensor resolution
  • 2.6 & 30mm/sec max. velocity
  • 120 & 50N push/pull force
  • Nonrotating tip 

Fast Steering Mirror Piezo Tip/Tilt Platforms

S-330 Fast Tip/Tilt Steering Mirror
Show more
S-330 Fast Tip/Tilt Steering Mirror
Mirrors up to 50mm
  • Fixed orthogonal axes with a common pivot point
  • To 20mrad optical beam deflection
  • Up to 20nrad resolution
  • Closed-loop for high linearity
S-335 Tip/Tilt Mirror Platform
Show more
S-335 Tip/Tilt Mirror Platform
Long Travel, Mirrors up 1”
  • 70mrad optical beam deflection
  • Up to 100nrad resolution
  • Closed-loop for high linearity
  • PKM = Equal dynamics for both axes
  • ID chip for auto calibrate
S-340 Fast Tip/Tilt Steering Mirror
Show more
S-340 Fast Tip/Tilt Steering Mirror
Mirrors up to 100mm
  • Fixed orthogonal axes with a common pivot point
  • 4mrad optical beam deflection
  • Sub-microrad resolution
  • Closed-loop for high linearity

Piezo Linear Actuators

  • 15 to 90µm displacement
  • Pushing forces to 1000N
  • Preloaded for pulling forces to 50N
  • Closed-loop for high accuracy
  • Sub-millisecond response
  • Sub-nanometer resolution
  • Options: ball tip, vacuum versions

These standard piezo actuators can be operated to -40C

P-882 – P-888 PICMA® Multilayer Piezo Stacks
Show more
P-882 – P-888 PICMA® Multilayer Piezo Stacks
Mars-Rover Tested
  • 9 to 30µm travel, 2x3 to 10x10mm cross sections
  • Polymer-free cofired stack design
  • NASA/JPL tested: 100 billion cycles
  • Used in the Mars Rover Discovery
  • Patented ceramic-encapsulation
  • Large operating-temperature range
  • High humidity resistance 
Piezoelectric Actuators: P-844/P-845 Piezo Stacks
Show more
P-844/45 Preloaded Piezo Stack Actuators
3000N Load, Closed-Loop Option
  • 15 to 90µm displacement
  • Pushing forces to 3000N
  • Preloaded for pulling forces to 700N
  • Closed-loop for high accuracy
  • Sub-millisecond response
  • Sub-nanometer resolution
  • Options: ball tip, vacuum versions

PI has provided special low temperature versions to -40C of the following product families:

Compact Stages to 102mm travel

L-509 Precision Linear Stage Family
Show more
L-509 Precision Linear Stage Family
Ballscrew, Linear Encoder Option
  • 1/2/4” travel
  • 0.01 to 0.2µm min. inc. motion
  • 1 to 50nm sensor resolution
  • 3-50mm/sec max. velocity
  • 60N push/pull force, 100N load
  • Linear encoder option

Mid-Size Stages up to 205mm Travel

Large Stages for Long Travel

LS-180 Linear Stage
Show more
LS-180 Linear Stage
Long Travel to 508mm
  • 155/205/305/508mm travel
  • 0.1 to 0.5µm min. inc. motion
  • 5 to 50nm encoder res.
  • 75 to 150mm/sec max. velocity
  • 800N push/pull force
  • Linear encoder option

Extra Large Stages for Long Travel

LS-270 Linear Stage
Show more
LS-270 Linear Stage
Long Travel to 1m
  • 305/508/815/1016mm travel
  • 0.05 to 0.5µm min. inc. motion
  • 50 to 250nm encoder res.
  • 50 to 150mm/sec max. velocity
  • 260N push/pull force
  • Linear encoder option

Rotary Stages

PRS-200 Precision Motorized Rotation Stage
Show more
PRS-200 Precision Rotary Stage
Worm Gear, Servo / Stepper
  • 120mm aperture, 200mm turn table
  • 0.5 – 8.7µrad min. inc. motion
  • 35-75°/sec max. velocity
  • 50kg load
  • Direct encoder option

For the -40C rated low temperature versions, special motors and components, designed to operate at these lower temperatures, are used. PI has several climate chambers for low temperature testing and can also provide RGA test results for vacuum rated stages.