Please forgive if this is redundant.  the message bounced on what I thought
was it's first submission.


<Dwayne Reid writes>


>>Old-Time PIClisters --
>>    I need your help in developing a new device -- a piezoelectric servo.


Anorad Corporation, 110 Oser Avenue, Hauppage, NY 11788 USA
[ (616) 231-1995, no URL that I know of] makes the "Microline" series
of Ceramic Linear Motors.  Velocities (in linear directions) of up to
200 mm/second with 10 nanometer resolution are claimed.  I've never
needed the speed but have used 0.5 micron resolution effectively.

IMHO they're pricy little buggers but neat for high resolution positioning
of optics and light loads. They appear to be a stack of piezo elements
that alternately expand & contract on a 40Khz synchronized pulse string.
The effect is similar to the way an inchworm crawls.

However if you come up with a home made way to move through
8 - 10 mm with 1/4 micron resolution and reproducibility I sure would
like to know about it.

Hope this helps.

Win Wiencke
Image Logic Corp
ImageLogic@ibm.net