Actuators

We design and manufacture dedicated high-precision mechanisms that experience a high level of integration of mechanics, electronics, and control software (mechatronics devices), including closed-loop systems. Our expertise in sensor technology, actuator technology and embedded electronics allow us to propose the most suitable design based on your requirements, even in harsh environments (vacuum, high altitude, high humidity etc.).

Our development tools include mechanical design (CAD), structural design (FEM), control design (Matlab) and electronic design (Altium).

Our workshop is also organized to manufacture prototypes and small series in-house, allowing reduced development time and efficient delivery of dedicated solutions.

What we do

 

  • Review of specifications
  • Conceptual Design
    • Review & trade-off of potential actuator technologies (Piezo, pneumatic, electro-magnetic, hydraulic etc.)
    • Review & trade-off potential sensor technologies
    • Review of control algorithm
    • Prototyping & evaluation
  • Detailed Design
    • Structural Analysis
    • Control Analysis
    • Electronic design
    • Mechanical manufacturing drawings
  • Procurement and assembly
  • Calibration & Final acceptance tests

 Examples

 

Telescope Mirror Shaping Actuators

For telescope manufacturers, we design and manufacture high-precision pneumatic actuators which are used to shape large telescope mirrors. For these applications, the primary mirror of the telescope is equipped with a set of axial force actuators in order to compensate for the low frequency surface shape errors (i.e. gravity effects, thermal effects, manufacturing etc.). The control strategy is usually a decentralized approach, where each actuator is equipped with its own local control electronics and communication electronics. Therefore, the telescope operator can change the mirror shape by sending a map of correction forces to the network of actuators.

Thanks to the embedded control electronics, the actuator can perform the following actions:

  • Acquire the sensor signals
  • Derive the actuator
  • Perform the non-linear closed-loop control
  • Perform the actuator calibration
  • Perform actuator diagnosis
  • Run the local state machine and communication with the host

These actuators equip telescopes in India (ARIES, MT ABU), Hawai (Pann-Starrs, Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope-DKIST) and Turkey (DAG).

Contact Us

MICROMEGA DYNAMICS

Parc Industriel de Noville-les-Bois
Rue du Trou du Sart, 10
B-5380 Fernelmont, Belgium

V.A.T: BE 0466034916
p. +32 (0)81 24 81 00
f. +32 (0)81 24 81 01