High Precision Hydrostatic Actuation Systems for Micro- and Nanomanipulation of Heavy Loads

In this paper reports on an important finding, that is, hydrostatic actuation systems are able to manipulate heavy loads with submicron precision and a large stroke. In this relation, the design of a high-precision hydrostatic actuation system referred to as the ElectroHydraulic Actuator (EHA) is presented. A laboratory prototype of this system has achieved an unprecedented level of performance by being able to move a large load of 20Kg with a precision of 100nm and a stroke of 12cm. This level of performance places the hydrostatic actuation concept in competition with piezoelectric platforms in terms of positional accuracy. Experimental results from this prototype are reported and analyzed.