Portescap's Innovative Dual Motion Can Stack Actuator Solution

Rotary and Linear Motion in One Compact Solution

Some applications require rotary motion, such as ventilators. Others require linear motion, such as medical pipettes or syringes. When it comes to combining a rotary and a linear motion in the same application, designers often need to integrate 2 motorized solutions so they can control both degrees of freedom (rotation and linear) at the same time.

Portescap's innovative Dual Motion Can Stack Actuator solution offers both rotary and linear motion inside a compact package. Designed as a stack of two permanent magnet Can Stack stepper motors, the innovative Dual Motion motor makes it possible to provide any of the following motion scenarios:

• Pure linear motion in any direction (no shaft rotation)
• Pure rotation, clockwise or anti-clockwise (no shaft translation along its axis)
• Combined linear motion and rotation simultaneously in any direction (for example like a screw entering a threaded hole)

To do so, a dual axis driver is needed to control both modules of the motor. The front module will drive the rotation of the shaft thanks to a rotary sliding nut, while the rear module will drive the linear travel of the shaft thanks to a nut/screw system similar to the one used in Portescap's Digital Linear Actuators, providing linear motion. The way both modules are simultaneously electronically controlled will dictate the rotary and/or linear motion of the shaft.

The permanent magnet stepper motor design also comes with following benefits:

• Easy positioning solution, step by step (without position feedback system)
• The natural detent torque (or cogging torque) helps hold a position without current

The lightweight and compact integration of 2 motion modules into 1 motor makes this solution a good fit to power various applications needing both linear and rotary motion on a single shaft, such as in robotics, for lab analyzers, automation and many others.

Please contact a Portescap engineer to define what Dual Motion Can Stack Actuator would best fit your application!