Victor, N.Y. — New Scale Technologies, Inc. touts its latest SQUIGGLE motor is the industry's smallest motor in a 1.5 x 1.5 x 6-mm footprint, which is about half the size of other micro-motors. It also offers ten times the precision and push force, said the company.

Other key specifications include a 10-mm stroke (customizable), better than 100 nm resolution, and speed up to 10 mm/s. Typical input power (moving) is 400 mW (less than 40 V).

With a combination of small size, 20 gram push force and sub-micron position resolution, the SQL-1.5 piezoelectric motor is said to open a whole new range of performance for miniature electronic products such as camera phones and medical devices because they now have a precise linear motor that fits into their size and power requirements, said the company. (At the end of last year, New Scale introduced a tiny SQL series SQUIGGLE piezo motor to replace its larger SQ-306s motor for portable electronic products. The SQL measures 2.4 x 2.4 mm.)

Key applications include camera phones for next-generation auto focus and optical zoom assemblies, and medical devices such as implantable drug pumps and micro-valves. While the small size of the motor enables a reduction in the overall size of the medical devices, it's the precise valve control that permits more concentrated medications, and therefore, smaller fluid reservoirs, said the company. In addition, the patented ceramic motor design generates no magnetic fields and can be made of non-ferrous materials, making it MRI-safe and image compatible.

The SQL-1.5 SQUIGGLE motor evaluation kit is priced at $950 and will be available to qualified OEMs for delivery in July 2006. The evaluation kit includes an SQL-1.5 SQUIGGLE motor, drive electronics card, cables, and computer control software including an ActiveX command library.

New Scale Technologies, Inc., 1-585-924-4450, www.newscaletech.com