BEI Kimco Magnetics, a company of Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST), Inc., has announced a breakthrough in miniaturization for cylindrical shaped voice coil actuators (VCAs) with the introduction of the Model LA05-05-000A.  The new actuator measures only 0.5" in diameter by 0.5" in length at mid-stroke, approximately 0.5" smaller than typical models on the market.  This size reduction offers engineers a new solution in meeting tight packaging constraints for military, medical and industrial applications. "To our knowledge, the new actuator is unique - there is no other cylindrical VCA this small on the market," says Miguel Hermosillo, BEI Kimco's applications engineer for VCAs. "With its tiny size, customers can now use a VCA in spaces they previously couldn't, opening a whole new realm of design options.  Previously an application may have required a BLDC motor with other components to accomplish what the LA05-05-000A can now do with a single component."

The miniature actuator characteristics include a force of 2.5 ozf, a total stroke of 1.02 mm, and an actuator constant of 1.04 N/sqrt (watt).  The new actuator features direct drive, hysteresis-free and cog-free operation while delivering high-acceleration and infinite position resolution, particularly important in mission critical applications where precision is paramount.