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Dutch-Israeli deal has minuscule benefits

01 April, 2002

Nyquist, the Dutch developer of PC-based motion control systems, has forged an alliance with Nanomotion, an Israeli company specialising in ultra-precise ceramic piezoelectric motors, used mainly in the semiconductor industry. By combining their technologies, they claim that they will be able to improve the performance of the motors dramatically.

The tiny piezomotors have unique non-linear characteristics that demand special control algorithms. They provide "incredible dynamic performance in long strokes as well as in very short steps, and a very high resolution actuation, combined with a high level of friction," explains Nanomotion`s owner, Ze`ev Ganor.

By linking the companies` technologies "we reach large-distance, point-to-point moves at 100mm/s, but also very small moves, such as one or two encoder counts, with a landing accuracy of one encoder count," adds Eric Hezemans, Nyquist`s chief executive. "Typically, these are encoder counts of less than 50nm - we achieve low-speed jogging in the range of nanometers a second."

The new deal between Nyquist and Nanomotion extends an informal collaboration that began several years ago when the two companies found themselves working for mutual customers.