Development of a novel PCB-based voice coil actuator for opto-mechatronic applications

Voice-coil actuators are the simplest form of electric motor consisting of a non-commutated single coil or winding moving through a fixed magnetic field produced by stationary permanent magnets. From a system design point of view, however, it is generally the end user's responsibility to couple the voice-coil actuator with a linear bearing system, position feedback device, switch-mode or linear servo amplifier, and motion controller. The integration of multiple discrete components adversely affects system reliability and renders minimization and packaging difficult particularly when multiple actuators are required. In response to this demand, a novel, low-inertia voice coil actuator has been developed whereby the traditional moving coil is replaced with a printed circuit board (PCB) that incorporates the necessary windings as conductive traces on one or more layers of the board. The result is a compact, highly integrated, highly reliable design that is simple to mass-produce using conventional PCB manufacturing and assembly techniques.