The German air motor specialist Deprag has developed a motor with no metallic components for use in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners where the presence of metal can interfere with the machine’s operation.

In response to a request, the company’s development department has come up with an air vane motor made entirely from ceramic and synthetic materials. The 40mm-diameter, 78mm-long pneumatically-driven prototype achieves an output of 150W at 14,000 rpm.