Alps Alpine : Adds Piezoelectric Actuator to Lineup for Smartphones to Support Optical Zoom Advancements
January 24, 2023 at 01:07 am EST
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Press Release | Alps Alpine Adds Piezoelectric Actuator to Lineup for Smartphones to Support Optical Zoom Advancements | Alps Alpine
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2023
Press Release
Development of New Type of Actuator Begins, Samples Available
Alps Alpine Adds Piezoelectric Actuator to Lineup for Smartphones to Support Optical Zoom Advancements
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Jan 24, 2023
Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6770; President & CEO: Toshihiro Kuriyama) has commenced development of a piezoelectric actuator to add to its lineup of actuators for smartphones. Samples are available.
Background
Advancement of optical zoom functionality for smartphone cameras is evolving into a growth domain. Alps Alpine is now looking to further expand sales of actuators for smartphones by broadening its lineup. The company has commenced development of a piezoelectric actuator to complement existing voice coil motor (VCM) and shape memory alloy (SMA) varieties, the latter having been announced just recently. Samples of the Piezoelectric Actuator are already available.
About Piezoelectric Actuators]
Piezoelectric actuators employ an element that makes use of the piezoelectric effect, with force required to move a lens carrier obtained by controlling expansion and contraction of the element. Whereas a VCM actuator allows travel of several hundred microns, a lens carrier could move several millimeters using a piezoelectric actuator. Furthermore, the driving source is not electromagnetic. This removes the need, as with VCM actuators, for big magnets and coils for generating a large electromagnetic force to support larger lens carriers, in turn contributing to smaller actuators.
Features (Advantages) of the Piezoelectric Actuator
• With a simple structure, lens carrier travel extends up to around several centimeters further than with a VCM actuator.
• Thrust is even greater than an SMA actuator (the thrust of an Alps Alpine SMA actuator is more than 10 times greater than an Alps Alpine VCM actuator of the same cubic dimensions), enabling drive even with a few grams of thrust.
• Envisaged use for optical zoom involving movement of two groups of lenses separately would assist design of periscope-type actuator systems.
• Like SMA actuators, there is no magnetic circuitry and therefore no magnetic interference, contributing to use of multiple cameras and greater freedom in end product design.
• While high voltage is typically required for drive with a piezoelectric element, we can realize drive voltage of 3V using an original drive method, supporting integration into mobile devices.
• The ability to maintain lens carrier position when there is no current, given a resilience to outside vibrations, enables compatibility with applications such as drones.
Schedule
Alps Alpine already provides samples to some customers and we will be expanding the target market to include applications other than smartphones, like drones, surveillance cameras and industrial equipment. Samples are available from January 2023.
Alps Electric Co. Ltd. published this content on 24 January 2023 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 24 January 2023 06:06:04 UTC.
Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. specializes in the production and marketing of electromechanical components. Net sales break down by family of products and services as follows:
- electronic components (52.4%): mobile phones, household items and industrial equipment components (switches, connectors, encoders, captors, etc.);
- audio and communication equipment for automotive (37.8%);
- logistics services (8.2%);
- other (1.6%).
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Japan (19%), China (19.2%), Americas (16.5%), Germany (10.7%), and other (34.6%).
ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD 
